NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Ashutosh Ranka on Friday questioned a private news channel’s decision to honour Jaipur’s Neerja Modi School with an award, citing the death of nine-year-old student Amaira and subsequent action taken by the CBSE against the school.The school received the “Excellence in Developing Young Leaders and Changemakers” award at a ceremony held in New Delhi on September 16.Calling the decision “shocking”, Ranka questioned whether the organisers were aware of the circumstances surrounding Amaira’s death. The Class 4 student died on November 1 last year after allegedly falling from the fourth floor of the school building.Amaira’s parents had alleged that she was repeatedly bullied by classmates and that her complaints to teachers were ignored.Later, the family released CCTV footage from the classroom, claiming it showed the child in distress and approaching her teacher before leaving the classroom.“Are you aware that Neerja Modi is the same school where a 9-year-old Amaira committed suicide after its teachers continuously ignored her complaints? Are you aware that the first thing the school did after the incident was to wipe off the floor? Are you aware that the school’s affiliation from Class 9-12 was cancelled by the CBSE for gross safety violations?” he asked in a social media post.“If yes and you still decided to award the school, you are also a perpetrator of injustice like so many others,” he said.Police have filed a chargesheet in connection with Amaira’s death.(With Agency Inputs)
