Lucknow school attack | Minor suspect stabbed her junior to get a holiday

The minor suspect in the Lucknow school attack stabbed her junior with kitchen knife because she wanted a holiday, the police officials have said.

The 11-year-old girl, who was sent to the Juvenile Home, reportedly told officials that she wanted the school to close early. She, in fact, told the victim that the only way to closed the school is to attack him.

Ritik Sharma, the class 1 student, was attacked in the toilet of Brightland School in Lucknow’s Triveni Nagar area.

The school's principal Rachit Manas was arrested by the police in connection with the incident that took place on January 16.

"He has been arrested for negligence and hiding evidence.

He did not inform the police of the incident," Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said.

Later, however, Chief Judicial Magistrate (Custom) Chhavi Asthana granted bail to Manas on furnishing two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount. The minor suspect has been sent to a juvenile home till January 31.

Taking note of the incident after the picture of the wounded boy went viral on social media and TV channels, District Inspector of Schools (DIoS) Mukesh Kumar Singh issued a notice to the school seeking clarification as to why legal action should not be initiated against it.

"The school has not provided information to our office regarding the incident after registration of the FIR. A clarification has been sought from the school," Singh said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the trauma centre in Lucknow and talked to doctors, inquiring about the well-being of six-year-old Ritik. 

The incident is stark reminder of the Gurugram Ryan school murder, where a 7-year-old was killed inside the toilet inside the school premises.

Seven-year-old Pradyuman of Gurugram's Ryan International School was found dead with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon in the school's washroom in September last year in which a 16-year-old student has been charged with committing the crime.