Delhi school death: 1.06-minute CCTV footage shows sequence of events

The one-minute-six-second clip shows the altercation unfolding in the classroom during a brief break between periods at 8:22am

CCTV footage from the classroom at a private school in Vasant Vihar has emerged as crucial evidence in the case of a 12-year-old student’s death, capturing the confrontation between the victim – Prince – and a classmate which eventually led to the victim’s tragic death. The clip, seen by HT, appears to show the victim involved in a scuffle with his classmate moments before collapsing on the floor.

12-year-old Prince.

The one-minute-six-second clip, viewed by investigators, shows the altercation unfolding in the classroom during a brief break between periods at 8:22am.

To be sure, the victim’s family, who have been shown the footage by the police, have alleged that the footage is not complete and more kids were involved in the fight between the students. Their assertions, they said, is based on what a school student told them.

Crucially, according to police, the video begins with Prince initiating physical confrontation after the accused student, who has been held and booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, brushes past him in the classroom.

Investigators said witnesses and testimonies from the other classmates has revealed that Prince allegedly abused and pushed the accused, who retaliated, leading to a series of blows exchanged between them as other students looked on.

The footage reportedly shows the accused stepping away briefly to strike another student who attempted to intervene before returning to Prince. Investigators said that the other student had asked the two to stop fighting.

The fight continued after the accused came back to Prince. The two then hitting each other again a second time. They reached the extreme right wall of the classroom, where Prince is seen overpowering the accused.

It finally culminates in the accused holding Prince by the throat for six to seven seconds. Moments after being released, Prince stumbled toward the classroom exit and collapsed.

A police officer aware of the matter said that the incident took place between the first and second period after teacher from the first period left and the teacher from the second was yet to come.

A teacher entered the classroom two minutes later, finding Prince unresponsive, an investigator said.

“She tried to wake him up but he did not, she called the school’s medical staff,” the officer said.

The school’s medical staff arrived four minutes after his collapse and attempted CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) before transferring him to Holy Angels Hospital.

He was later referred to Fortis Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The school informed Prince’s family, initially describing the incident as a fainting episode. The hospital, meanwhile, informed the police.

While investigators said that they are yet to get the final autopsy report, doctors who conducted the preliminary examination of Prince’s body said they ruled out strangulation as a cause of death.

“The accused held Prince by the throat but the doctor, after preliminary examination, ruled out strangulation. However, the report will give clarity,” the officer said.

The 11-year-old accused, produced before the juvenile justice board, was allowed to remain with his family and will attend online classes for the rest of the academic session. Meanwhile, the school remained closed on the day of the incident and is set to reopen on Monday.

Prince’s family has alleged that the footage is incomplete and claim that more students were involved in the altercation, based on accounts shared by another student. The police are continuing their investigation.

Prince is survived by his father, Sagar, who works as a drain cleaner, his mother, Neetu, who is a homemaker, and his 14-year-old brother. He was enrolled at Chinmaya Vidyalaya under the economically weaker section quota, and his family belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.