Team Goemkarponn
VASCO: Family members and friends of deceased student Rahul Bind staged a protest outside Deep Vihar School on Wednesday, demanding strict action against those responsible for the circumstances leading to his death during a school trekking activity.
The protesters demanded the immediate suspension of teachers involved in the trekking programme, action against the school management and a thorough investigation into the incident. They also sought the transfer of the case from Valpoi Police to the Crime Branch, alleging that the family had still not received satisfactory answers about what happened during the trekking activity.
The parents alleged that the Forest Department and Valpoi Police were engaged in a “blame game”, with neither providing a clear account of the sequence of events that led to Rahul’s death. They maintained that an independent investigation was necessary to establish the facts and determine whether there were any lapses in supervision or safety arrangements.
The family said it had the right to know the exact circumstances surrounding Rahul’s death and demanded that the role of the school authorities and teachers be examined as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, sources said school headmistress Maria Dias and two other teachers have been suspended pending an inquiry by the school management. The development came amid growing anger among the family and supporters demanding accountability.
The protest continued outside the school premises until the school day ended. The protesters allowed students to leave without obstruction. Tension, however, arose when the protesters later attempted to prevent teachers from leaving the premises.
Police intervened to prevent the situation from escalating and cleared the protesters from the area, allowing the teachers to leave and averting any untoward incident.
The family and supporters remained firm in their demand for a Crime Branch probe, stating that they would continue to pursue the matter until the circumstances surrounding Rahul’s death are established and responsibility, if any, is fixed.
The incident has also raised concerns among parents and members of the local community over safety measures and supervision during school-organised trekking activities. The family said only a transparent and impartial investigation could provide them with answers and closure.
