A Class 3 boy accused of assaulting a kindergarten girl at a Panchkula school needs immediate treatment to address his behaviour, according to a psychological evaluation conducted 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 report has been submitted to the Panchkula police, who will present it, along with the child, before the juvenile justice board on Wednesday.
The evaluation also examined whether the boy’s reported association with older students indicated a level of mental maturity beyond his age. According to the report cited by the newspaper, psychologists found that this was not the case. The report nevertheless recommended treatment aimed at changing his behaviour.
The boy is currently being kept at an observation home in Ambala. The kindergarten girl involved in the incident is recovering in hospital, according to the report. The identities of both children have not been disclosed.
The case has also prompted an administrative examination of the school’s handling of the incident and whether it could have been prevented. A committee led by an additional deputy commissioner has been constituted to examine those questions, including the school’s response after the assault.
District Education Officer Suman Chaudhary held a four-hour meeting with the school principal and staff. She sought details about the boy’s conduct during the three years he had attended the school, his performance in studies, whether his behaviour had changed and whether any earlier complaints had been recorded against him.
The education department is preparing a report based on the school’s responses. That document, along with the psychological evaluation and the police’s presentation before the juvenile justice board, will shape the immediate institutional response. The board is expected to consider the report before deciding the next steps in the case.
