In a tragic incident that has sparked outrage, a seven-year-old girl was crushed to death after allegedly falling through a damaged section of a moving school bus in Nagla Sadhu village of Kasganj district, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday afternoon.
The victim, Ananya, was a kindergarten student at Mount Dev Intermediate School. She was returning home along with three other children, including her elder brother, when the accident occurred.
Floorboard gave way near rear wheel
According to her father, Ravi Yadav, Ananya was seated near the rear wheel when a portion of the bus floor — reportedly measuring around 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet — suddenly gave way. She fell onto the road and was run over by the vehicle.
“Other children began shouting immediately, but the driver did not stop for nearly 100 to 150 metres,” he alleged. A passing taxi driver reportedly intercepted the bus and alerted the driver.
Family members further claimed that instead of taking the child directly to a nearby hospital, the driver drove her home first, causing a critical delay. She was later shifted to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Protest erupts, FIR registered
Angered by the incident, local residents and relatives blocked the Aligarh-Kasganj road in protest, accusing the school management and driver of gross negligence. During the protest, the bus was damaged and the driver was assaulted before police intervened and took him into custody.
After more than 24 hours, an FIR was registered at Gangiri Police Station against school manager Arvind Yadav and bus driver Chandra Prakash under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Assistant Regional Transport Officer Pravesh Kumar confirmed that action is being initiated against the school management and driver.
The institution, located nearly 55 km from Aligarh city and about 20 km from Kasganj, reportedly ferries around 28 students daily. The child’s body has been sent for post-mortem as investigations continue.