A protest. A grieving mother. A bereaved family. An impertinent authority.
On Wednesday morning, Anurag Bhardwaj, a class 4 student, was on his way to school when he stuck out his head from the school bus window after feeling suffocated. Within a few seconds, the driver took a sudden turn and the 10-year-old boy’s head rammed against the nearby pole and he died of injuries on the spot. He was from Dayawati Modi Public School, Modinagar.
In a video that has emerged aftermath, the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Modinagar, identified as Shubhangi Shukla, is seen screaming atrociously at the greiving mother sitting alongside her family to protest against the school authorities.
“Bass Chup Kar!” (Shut up!) shouts Ms. Shukla while pointing her finger at wailing Neha, Anurag’s mother.
The horrific exchange goes on for sometime. SDM tries to quiet the grief stricken mother. She further yells at her insensitively, asking, “why don’t you understand anything?”
Anurag’s family had already been complaining to the school authorities that the buses were cramped with students and lacked a supervisory presence. The concerned bus did not even have a proper fitness certificate.
The family has accused the school for negligence. Reportedly, an FIR under murder and criminal conspiracy has been registered against the school authorities, the bus driver, and the co-driver.
Seeing the gravitas of the incident, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has stepped into the matter. He has sought a report from the district magistrate. He has also ordered safety checks on the buses and assured that the requisite actions will be taken against those responsible.