Residents block Arcot-Arani Main Road to protest boy’s death in classroom

Residents, parents and relatives of a school student, who died in the classroom allegedly after consuming a cake, blocked the Arcot-Arani Main Road at Thimiri village near Arcot town in Ranipet on Wednesday, demanding action against school authorities for the alleged delay in admitting the student to a hospital.

Police said the deceased student was identified as M. Mithun, 7, who was studying Class 2 at a private school. His parents brought the cake from a local bakery on September 20. The boy apparently ate the cake during snack break around 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday. An hour later, he had his lunch when suddenly his face got swollen.

Immediately, other students informed teachers in the school. Initially, the boy was rushed to a Primary Health care Centre in Thimiri, before he was referred to Government Taluk Hospital in Arcot where doctors declared the boy as brought dead. A case was registered by Thimiri police and the body was sent to Government Medical College Hospital in Vellore for a post mortem.

Following the incident, health officials sealed the suspected bakery and took samples of cakes and other eatables from the outlet. Angered by the boy’s death, parents and kin blocked the key stretch. Based on an alert, police and revenue officials pacified the protesters. Officials and police assured that action will be taken against those responsible for the boy’s death based on the post mortem report. Residents dispersed peacefully with traffic affected for over an hour on the route.