Lone CCTV with view of playground was defunct

SANGAMNER: The sole CCTV camera on the Nutan Madhyamik Vidyalaya premises in Sangamner, where 13-year-old Kiran Sonawane was allegedly beaten up by his classmates, has not been functioning since the summer vacations.
The Sangamner police are now relying on the version of his classmates and school staff to recount the events of June 26.
The CCTV is located at the school office, at the far end of the campus.Though it would not cover the secondary school classrooms, the CCTV would have captured the alleged fight and beating up on the playground.
Kiran' s family has alleged that he was brutally beaten up by his classmates during the short break in the classroom and again at the playground. Later that day, he complained of nausea and later succumbed to the injuries at a Nashik hospital on June 30. His family has blamed 11 students from his class for this death.
" The camera is part of the junior college located on the same premises and has not been operational since the time the college vacation. Though the camera does not have the view of the classroom or corridor of the secondary school, it has a clear view of the school grounds," said a teacher from the school, requesting anonymity.
The teacher added, " The camera would have captured the movement of the students outside the classrooms, the playground and the school entrance."
The Sangamner police have begun questioning the students and staff of the secondary school at Rajapur to get an exact recount of the incident on June 25-26. On Thursday, the police visited the school and interacted with the Kiran' s classmates to know the events leading up to the fight in the classroom and the playground during the short break at 4pm on June 26.
The Class VII children, including the suspects, were questioned by the police team for an hour. " We are talking to the children in the school to know what has happened," said inspector Nitin Chavan of the Sangamner police station.
The police are also conducting an enquiry into the teachers' role in the secondary school and junior college to get the idea of the happenings of the day. The teachers remained firm on their stand that there was no information or complaint about the fight between the children.
School principal ST Kurkute said, " We have no idea of the incident as claimed by the child' s parents. Instead, when the boy' s grandfather came to us asking for help for the surgery at Nashik hospital, we contributed Rs 25,000 for the same."
Following his death at the Nashik hospital, the Sarkarwada police registered a case of accidental death. The case papers were transferred to the Sangamner city police, who went to Kiran' s house seeking details of the incident. But the parents were then not in any condition to record their statement.
The police have booked 11 students for allegedly thrashing a classmate, 13-year-old Kiran Sonawane, which eventually led to his death on July 1. The boys have been booked under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint lodged by Kiran' s mother on Tuesday.