A Class 8 girl student died after falling from a moving autorickshaw inside a government-run residential school campus in Telangana’s Kamareddy district, sparking protests and allegations of serious negligence.
The student, identified as Sangeetha, was studying at a Gurukul residential school for children from the Scheduled Caste community in Banswada mandal, according to a report by NDTV.
The school staff had brought chairs for a Republic Day event in an autorickshaw and asked students to help unload them and transport it to the principal’s house.
Sangeetha was travelling in the auto when she lost her balance and fell from the moving vehicle. She was the fourth child seen falling or jumping out, but the autorickshaw did not stop.
The injured student was rushed to a hospital in Banswada, where doctors declared her dead.
Medical staff said she had suffered severe injuries. “She wasn’t breathing and had no cardiac activity,” an on-duty doctor told NDTV.
Doctors also noted heavy bleeding from her ears and multiple injuries to her face and hands.
A senior official stated that the incident occurred after the chairs were transported and the girls went for a ride in the autorickshaw. However, the reason the driver did not stop after the children fell remains unclear.
Kiranmayi Koppisetty, the IAS officer overseeing the area, said the driver was familiar with the hostel and regularly dropped off students.
“He may have been inebriated. He is also said to be hard of hearing. It’s yet to be probed if the driver did not realise the seriousness of his negligence. Sangeetha suffered head injuries and had severe bleeding after the fall inside the school campus and died,” she told NDTV.
The driver has been taken into custody.
Following the incident, the girl’s family members, along with student unions and local residents, staged protests. They accused the school authorities of negligence and questioned why young students were made to do physical work instead of being supervised by trained staff.
Sangeetha’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination. Student organisations have demanded strict action against the school principal and other staff present at the time.
