Death of Ryan student: Principal, 4 others held; probe glare on management

“They could be arrested if their role in the incident is established,” added the source, declining to name those under the spotlight. In the last couple of days, sources had indicated investigators were looking at lapses on the school’s part.

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Joint Commissioner of Police (southeastern range) Ranveer Singh Krishnia told The Indian Express the arrests were made after probe found negligence on the part of the five school staff.

“They were booked under Section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC,” said Krishnia. “We are still investigating the matter.”

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Principal Sandhya Sabu (50), Devansh’s class teacher Minakshi Kapoor (38), water system operator Yogesh Kholiya (23), maintenance in-charge of the tank Puran Singh Bisht (65) and gardener Ram Narayan (44) were arrested after four hours of questioning, said the police.

According to sources, investigators are scrutinising documents to ascertain if the school has permission for the water reservoir on its premises. Police have sought documents from Delhi Development Authority and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said the sources.

A Delhi government probe into the drowning of Devansh on January 30 has found that school staff refused to enter the tank under the school’s amphitheatre to retrieve the boy. Sources said some Class XI students finally dived into the tank and brought him out.

During investigation, the school authorities told the police the boy was last seen before the seventh period, at about 12.20 pm.

“They later found him floating in the reservoir and rushed him to a private hospital where he was declared brought dead. It was the hospital authorities and not those of school who informed the police about the incident,” a senior police officer said. Preliminary post-mortem findings into his death pointed to drowning, added the officer.