Mystery shrouds death of 17-yr-old student

NAGPUR: The death of a 17-year-old Class XI student of

Ravi Kanishtha Vidyalaya

at Siraspeth, Prateek Wandre, whose body was exhumed on Saturday after three days of burial, shrouded in mystery. Police claimed the student died of either epileptic fit or cardiac arrest while returning home from his school; teachers of the school also came up with to some extent same statement behind the reason of his death but his family members refused to buy these theories. They requested

Kotwali

police to enquire into the incident which led to Prateek’s death.

Prateek died on November 21 at a private hospital and was buried next day because he was still a bachelor at the time of his death.

The deceased, youngest of three siblings, was returning home at

Nandaji Nagar

at Chitnispura on cycle when some mysterious incident took place near Reshimbagh chowk, leading to his death. The body had several injury marks, including a blackened stretch on his neck, bruises on the right eyebrow and scratches across the body.

A source close to the student’s family said the victim had never had any medical history of either epileptic fit or cardiac-related problem. He said Prateek must have a fight with some fellow classmates on the road during which he may have suffered some injuries leading to his death. His statement was corroborated by some shopkeepers who said it was “after the fight that Prateek collapsed”.

“This clearly shows both the school and police are trying to conceal the truth for the reasons best known to them,” a family friend said.

The version of the family friend was confirmed by a welder on the footpath also. He said, "The victim had a fight with another. In fact, the victim had pinned down the other before collapsing suddenly," the welder, whose statement too was recorded by police, said.

The Wandres, despite finding the injury marks on the body, went ahead with the burial on November 22 at Gangabai Ghat. It was after some considerations among family members that they decided to approach the Kotwali police station on November 23 and requested a thorough probe into the incident that led to the death. Police had no other option but to request the district administration for permission to exhume the body.

The procedure, which was taken place in presence of an executive magistrate, was videographed too. Prateek was declared dead at a private hospital at Sakkardara where he had been rushed by the teachers of the school where he studied. The teachers were learnt to have been informed about Prateek’s collapsing on the road by other students who too were returning home.

Senior PI of Kotwali police station Khushal

Tijare

said Prateek died after suffering an epileptic fit while cycling back to home. Police further said Prateek fell on a fellow student following an attack of epileptic fit or cardiac arrest after which he was declared dead at a private hospital. Prateek’s family was informed by a fellow student who called up the victim’s elder brother Shubham.

The Police information centre issued a press note claiming that Prateek had died of injuries suffered after falling from a height at his school. PI Tijare said police press note was prepared following the initial information about the death.

Principle of the school Ashok Thote said Prateek died of some ailment while returning home and not at the school.

Kotwali police, however, registered a case of accidental death. Zonal DCP

Rahul Maknikar

said the case would be thoroughly probed to ascertain the real cause of the death.