Godhra student dies after suffering serious burn injuries in fire at school

In the FIR, Parmar said that she received a call on the morning of August 16 from the Kajiwada Gujarati co-education school that her daughter Khushboo, a Class VIII student, has sustained “minor burn injuries”.

“However, on reaching the hospital, I saw that my daughter had sustained severe burn injuries on her chest as well as her legs. When I asked how the accident occurred, I was told that a can of sanitiser was kept in my daughter’s classroom on the second flood and the children were playing with the same when the fire started…”

In the FIR, Parmar was quoted as saying that her daughter was shifted to a private hospital in Vadodara where she underwent treatment until Saturday and succumbed to her injuries.

The family refused to accept the body of the victim until the FIR was lodged on Saturday night.

The final rites were carried out on Sunday. Parmar, a widow, who works as a domestic maid, said, “My daughter has returned to God but I still do not know what transpired in the school on that day… How did the fire start and how did my daughter sustain the burns? The police has only maintained that it is investigating the case but the fact is that no FIR was lodged until Saturday. As a mother, I want to know what happened to my daughter.”

District Primary Education Officer Gayatri Patel said that a departmental inquiry had been initiated against the school management. “The police are investigating the case and we have also started a departmental inquiry. Whoever is responsible will be taken to task.”