In a horrific incident that has shocked people in the country, a six-year-old student was allegedly brutally assaulted by a Class 3 student at a government school in Haryana’s Panchkula, officials said on Saturday.

The incident, that was captured on CCTVs present in the classroom where the deadly assault took place and went viral later, has raised serious concerns over the school’s security arrangements.

The little girl’s family has questioned how the alleged assault on her went unnoticed despite the presence of CCTV cameras in the classroom that were monitored from the principal’s office.

The family has alleged that the accused student lured the girl to the first floor of the school by telling her that her father had called her. It was there that the girl was allegedly attacked and left severely injured and unconscious.

In a disturbing account of the incident, the family claimed that the same eight-year-old student accused of assaulting the girl later led them to the spot where she was lying unconscious inside the school premises.

The girl’s uncle, Faisal, said that when the family reached the school and began searching for her, it was the accused boy who eventually took them to the place where she was lying.

“She went to school in the morning as usual. There were no issues or fights. When school got over, our hired auto driver went to pick her up, but she was not there. The school staff told him that the girl was missing. He returned home and informed my brother, who immediately went back to the school.

“When my brother reached there, he could not find her nearby. The boy who assaulted her told my brother that she was upstairs and lying there. When my brother went upstairs and saw her, he fainted. There was blood everywhere in the room,” Faisal told media.

Describing the severity of the alleged assault, he said the injuries inflicted on the girl were extremely disturbing and reflected the brutality of the attack.

“He has beaten her so mercilessly, not even an animal is treated with such cruelty,” he said.

Faisal also questioned the school’s arrangements for monitoring students, alleging that inadequate staff deployment and the absence of the principal during the relevant period may have contributed to the incident.

“According to the teachers, some staff members had been assigned government duty elsewhere. As a result, two to three classes had been combined under one teacher. The principal’s duty hours ended at 3 p.m., and the incident took place between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The CCTV cameras installed in the principal’s room provide a view of who is moving where and how,” he said.

“However, nobody was present in that room because the principal had already left. Had someone been sitting in the office and noticed the boy taking the girl upstairs, perhaps this incident would not have happened,” the victim’s uncle added.

The family further alleged that the girl was initially hit with a stone before being attacked with a flower pot and a brick.

According to the family’s account, the girl was eventually found lying unconscious, with blood spread across the room.

The family has also raised concerns over the functioning of the CCTV cameras, particularly those installed in the principal’s office, and questioned whether adequate monitoring arrangements were in place during school hours.

They have sought accountability from the school management over the security lapses and the assault.

With Diwali approaching, some Delhi traders have expressed concern over the proposed rally at Ramlila Maidan, with the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Saturday launching a massive poster campaign urging that business activities in major markets should not be disrupted during the peak festive season and urging the INDIA Bloc to cancel its ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally.

The CTI, an apex body representing traders and entrepreneurs in Delhi, appealed to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying that traders’ businesses also run on mutual trust, love and affection with their customers.

“You often say that you run shops of love in the market of hatred. Our shops also run on the basis of mutual trust, love and affection with our customers. Therefore, we humbly request you not to sacrifice our shops of love and business for a rally during the peak season of India’s biggest festival, Diwali,” the CTI said.

CTI has announced that starting on Saturday, these posters will be put up in 20 major wholesale markets within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said the poster campaign was intended to highlight the concerns of traders whose businesses could be affected by traffic restrictions and congestion around the rally venue.

“You talked about opening ‘shops of love’ during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, but in Delhi, our 300-year-old shops of love are being closed because of the rally,” Goyal said.

He cited businesses ranging from the famous parantha shops of Chandni Chowk and spice traders of Khari Baoli to bangle and bindi sellers in Sadar Bazaar, lehenga shops in Chandni Chowk and other traditional establishments.

“Each shop supports the families of 10 to 20 people,” he added.

The CTI said it would put up posters in major wholesale markets located within a five-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.

These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Naya Bazaar, Chawri Bazaar, Kashmiri Gate, Daryaganj, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Nabi Karim, Paharganj, Ajmeri Gate, Lahori Gate, Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Ballimaran and Kinari Bazaar.

According to the traders’ body, a large gathering at Ramlila Maidan could lead to traffic congestion and restrictions in the surrounding markets.

Goyal said the proposed rally, scheduled just days before Dhanteras, could affect festive business activities.

He expressed concern that the arrival of a large number of people and around 20,000 vehicles could result in traffic jams across central Delhi and disrupt commercial activity.

The CTI claimed that the festive business of 2 million traders and the livelihoods of 7.5 million people dependent on these markets could be affected if restrictions were imposed during the peak Diwali shopping period.

Four people were killed, and two were seriously injured after a massive fire broke out at a shoe factory in Delhi’s Mangolpuri Industrial Area, officials said on Saturday.

The factory is in Phase 1 of the Mangolpuri Industrial Area. According to officials, the fire broke out at around 9:30 p.m. on Friday.

Upon receiving information, Delhi Police personnel, fire tender teams, along with rescue and relief officials, reached the spot.

Fire tender teams worked for hours to bring the fire under control. Subsequently, six people were rescued from inside the factory. Officials said that they were found unconscious.

Speaking to reporters, Phase-I DCP (Outer District) Vikram Singh said, “Police received information regarding a fire outbreak at a shoe factory. Our beat staff and team immediately reached the spot as first responders. As soon as the fire tenders arrived, the rescue operation was initiated.”

“The operation has been ongoing for a considerable duration and is still active. A total of six people were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, out of whom four were declared brought dead, while two are currently undergoing treatment,” he said.

DCP Singh said that the legal proceedings have been initiated, adding that the accused will be apprehended soon.

“The reason behind the fire is still unclear, and we are investigating what might have led to the fire. So far, we only know that the fire broke out in the basement. The reason will only be clear after an investigation,” he added.

Central Accident and Trauma Service (CATS) personnel Rakesh Bhardwaj said that they received the call at 9:50 p.m. regarding a fire incident in this area.

“All five of our ambulances stationed together responded immediately, arriving at the location within five to seven minutes. Our staff and team members transported around six patients to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and admitted them,” he told the reporters.

The injured are still undergoing treatment.

Officials said that an investigation is underway and further details are awaited.