NEW DELHI: A Class-III student of Lovely Heritage School in Mayur Vihar Phase-II died Wednesday morning after collapsing in her classroom.The exact cause of her death is yet to be ascertain-ed, though the principal claimed that doctors suspected a cardiac arrest.The family of Unnati Bharti (9) claimed that she didn’t have prior medical issues and was fit when she was dropped off at school.Her relatives alleged that school authorities delayed medical assistance by taking her to a hospital in Nirman Vihar during peak-hour traffic, instead of nearby medical facilities. She was declared dead at the hospital.The principal, Bhawna Malik, countered the allegation, saying that a hospital near the school referred the girl to a better-equipped facility and the teachers accompanying her did the best they could at that moment.According to the school authorities, Unnati collapsed at 9:08 am at the fag end of the games period. “She was among several children who were returning to their classroom. After entering the class, she suddenly stood still and fell on her face and stopped moving,” a school employee said on condition of anonymity.CCTV footage shows the girl trudging into the classroom with a hand on her waist. Seconds later, she stops, places both hands on her waist, and begins to sway before collapsing. The teacher immediately picked her up and seated her on a chair. However, she did not regain consciousness. The teacher then called for help, the school authorities said. Unnati’s parents were informed about the incident at 9.18 am and police at 9.52 am.Her father, Vikas Bharti (38), who works as a contractual driver at Maulana Azad Hospital, claimed she was not taken to a better and closer medical facility like Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital or Max Hospital.Countering the allegation, principal Bhawna Malik said, “We immediately rushed her to Bimla Devi Hospital, the nearest medical facility. They asked us to take her to a better-equipped hospital. The teachers then took her to Malik Radix Healthcare in Nirman Vihar, which they thought was the best alternative. And it’s not that far off.”A police officer said the medico-legal case, which was received from Malik Radix, mentioned that Bimla Devi Hospital had indeed referred the child to a higher institute.Bharti said, “Unnati was physically active. Every mo-rning, she and I would exer-cise. Neither did she com-plain of any ailment, nor had she ever been diagnosed with any illness.”Bharti said he dropped her off at school at 7:55 am. “My wife received a call at 9.18 am that our daughter had fallen down and hurt herself,” he said, adding that the girl dreamt of joining the Navy when she grew up and was inspired by her grandfather, who had served in the forces.DCP (east) Rajeev Kumar said, “The footage shows the girl collapsing. Statements of her parents and the school authorities have been recorded. Investigators are examining the footage and other relevant evidence to establish the circumstances leading to her death. We are awaiting the postmortem report. No allegation has been officially raised as of now. Therefore, no case has been registered.”
