Despite HC notice, no police action yet in Sirsa playschool death case

Despite the Punjab and Haryana High Court taking suo motu cognisance of the tragic death of four-year-old Armaan at an unregistered playschool in Sirsa’s Mamera Kalan village of Ellenabad Tehsil, no police action has been taken so far. The Sirsa police have not filed an FIR or started a formal investigation, raising concerns about the handling of the case.

Meanwhile, the District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has submitted a 20-page report, highlighting gross negligence by the school management and government departments. The report, submitted on Thursday, has been sent to senior officials, including the DC, SP, Women and Child Development Department, and Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR).

According to CWC officials, the Education Department had claimed that it issued a closure notice to the unregistered school in April 2025. However, the school continued to operate. The report notes that the department failed to provide any proof of actually serving the notice. Despite repeated requests, neither the school nor the department submitted a copy to the committee.

The investigation revealed several alarming details. The playschool was running illegally from a rented residential house without registration or basic infrastructure. There were no CCTV cameras, hygienic toilets, proper ventilation, or trained staff. The building did not meet safety standards, and attendance records were incomplete or missing.

The report further found that Bhupender Singh, the person running the school, had no qualifications to operate a playschool. He was also running another unregistered playschool in Ellenabad. The school at Mamera Kalan had never applied for official recognition and lacked even basic documentation.

CWC chairperson Anita Verma confirmed that Armaan’s family gave statements to the committee. His father, Sukhdev Singh, a petrol station worker, alleged that the school authorities misled them and tried to dissuade them from approaching the police. He said Armaan fell seriously ill at around 9.30 am on July 2. Instead of informing the family right away, the staff took him to two private hospitals before finally bringing him to the Sirsa Government Hospital, where he was declared dead at 1.25 pm.

Sukhdev said when he reached the school, it was shut and locked. He claimed that Armaan had collapsed during lunchtime and was left unattended on a bench for nearly 30 minutes with no staff around.

His untimely death has left the family in deep shock.

Following a report by ‘The Tribune’ on July 6, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu notice and issued notices to the state government and other departments concerned, demanding answers regarding safety measures in early childhood care institutions.

However, Ellenabad SHO Pargat Singh confirmed that no FIR had been registered yet. “The Child Welfare Department is looking into the matter. The post-mortem was done on the same day. The cause of death will be clear only after the report,” he said.

Haryana Tribune