The Class 3 boy accused of assaulting a kindergarten girl at a Panchkula school needs immediate treatment to address his behaviour, according to a report prepared by psychologists at Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh. The report will be placed before the juvenile justice board, which is expected to decide the next course of action.
The child underwent a mental examination at the Sector 32 hospital on court orders. Psychologists evaluated him over three days and concluded that he required treatment, sources cited by the Times of India said. The assessment was conducted after the boy was taken into the juvenile justice system following the school incident.
The report has been submitted to the Panchkula police, who will present it and the child before the juvenile justice board. The boy is currently being kept at an observation home in Ambala. The board’s review will determine the next steps in the case, including how the treatment recommendation is to be addressed.
According to the report, the child spent much of his time with older students. Psychologists examined whether this had resulted in a level of mental maturity beyond his age, but concluded that it had not, the sources said. The report’s recommendation focuses on treatment intended to modify his behaviour.
The kindergarten girl remains under medical care and is recovering in hospital, according to the report. Details of her condition beyond the recovery update were not provided. The identities of both children have not been disclosed.
A committee headed by an additional deputy commissioner has also been formed to examine the incident and the school’s handling of it. The committee is looking into whether the assault could have been prevented and how the school responded after it occurred. Its inquiry places the school’s supervision and internal response under administrative review, alongside the proceedings before the juvenile justice board.
District Education Officer Suman Chaudhary held a four-hour meeting with the school principal and staff as part of the administrative examination. Officials asked about the boy’s behaviour during his three years at the school, his academic performance, whether his conduct had changed and whether any previous complaints had been made against him.
The education department is preparing a report based on the school’s responses. The administrative inquiry and the juvenile justice proceedings are separate processes: the committee is examining the school’s conduct and possible preventive failures, while the board will consider the child’s case and the psychologists’ assessment. The police are scheduled to present the report and the boy before the juvenile justice board on Wednesday.
