A six-year-old girl lost two fingers in an accident at a government primary school in Guluru, on the outskirts of Tumakuru, about 75 km from Bengaluru. The child was allegedly left without timely medical attention as she bled in pain.
The incident took place on February 11 but surfaced only now. According to the complaint, the Class 1 student was standing in a queue for her midday meal when an iron classroom door was allegedly shut on her hand, severing two fingers. Despite heavy bleeding, teachers present at the time allegedly did not immediately take her to a hospital.
In their complaint, the girl’s parents, daily-wage construction workers, alleged that no effort was made to preserve the severed fingers or arrange urgent medical care. They also claimed they were informed about the incident late, leading to further delay.
By the time the parents reached the school, crucial time had been lost. They rushed their daughter to Tumakuru District Hospital, where doctors reportedly told them that reattachment might have been possible had the fingers been retrieved and preserved promptly.
According to a Times of India report, when the parents later returned to the school to search for the severed fingers, staff allegedly told them the fingers had been thrown into a dustbin as the sight of blood had frightened other students. The family also alleged that school authorities transferred Rs 2,000 to their bank account.
Based on the complaint, the Tumakuru Rural Police registered an FIR against headmaster Nagesh, teachers Renukamma and Venkatesh, and Block Education Officer Hanumanthappa for alleged negligence and insensitive handling of the emergency.