NAVI MUMBAI: A Class VI student of a private school in New Panvel died in a hospital on Tuesday after he allegedly jumped from the fourth floor of his school building.

Police registered an FIR against a teacher at the New Horizon Public School (CBSE) where the 12-year-old studied. Police claimed the 25-year-old teacher, during her class in the morning, slapped the boy and made him stand outside the classroom as punishment for something he said. Police said she later took him from the fourth-floor classroom to the ground-floor staff room to meet the class teacher at 9.15am, who counselled him and asked him to return to class.

Police sources said the boy, however, was found on the ground below the classroom. His parents were called and he was taken to a hospital where he was admitted at 10.30am and died an hour later. Police booked the teacher for causing death by a rash and negligent act under IPC section 304A, punishable by up to 2 years’ jail. “Police added section 306, IPC for abetment to suicide ,” said DCP (Zone-2) Sanjay Singh Yenpure. “She has been arrested.”

A family member said, “We have no idea what exactly happened.” No one from the school management, including the principal was available for comment. “The fourth floor window did not have a safety grille,” said a parent of another student.

