Mumbai: Parents of boy who died at school say he had no illness

MUMBAI: The parents of an eight-year-old boy who suffered an epileptic fit at his school on Friday and later died at a hospital said that he had no prior illness and they are puzzled as to what caused his death. Initial post-mortem findings have been inconclusive and the deceased's organs have been sent to the state forensic science laboratory for an analysis which will establish the cause of death.

Shivansh Jha was a class III student at Nirmala English School. Around 3 pm on Friday, students were taken downstairs during the PT period. They were playing hopscotch on mats when Shivansh had an epileptic fit and collapsed. He was rushed to the nearby Shreeji Hospital where his condition was determined as critical. His family then moved him to the civic-run Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivali West where he was pronounced dead.

Shivansh's father, Manoj, told TOI on Saturday that his son had never suffered an epileptic fit before. "I don't think he had a fit on Friday either. I believe he fell while playing. He had no other illness in recent times," Manoj said, adding that the authorities are carrying out an investigation into the cause of death.

Manoj, who runs a business, said he was informed of the incident by a friend from the neighbourhood. "We then rushed to the Shreeji Hospital where the school's staff had brought my child," he said.

Police said they have gone through surveillance camera footage from the school and have confirmed there was no foul play involved in the incident. The family does not have a complaint against anyone.

Shivansh is survived by his sister and parents. "He was a bright child... he had recently won a fancy dress competition and had qualified in a state-level exam," Manoj said. The family was inconsolable.