Class 6 student collapses and dies at Bengaluru boarding school

A 12-year-old class six student reportedly collapsed and died at a private residential school in north Bengaluru on July 8. The boy’s family is alleged to have lacked transparency from the school authorities and harsh punishment from the school led to the boy’s death.

The deceased, Guru Kiran, is the son of Raghavendra, a resident of Subedar Palya in Yelahanka taluk. He was a student of Sterling English Residential School in Kadayarappanahalli, Bengaluru North taluk.

According to the family, school authorities informed them on the morning of July 8 that the boy had fallen ill and was taken to hospital. By the time the parents arrived at the hospital, the boy had died.

Mallikarjuna, uncle of the deceased boy, told the media that the boy was beaten up by a teacher and made to run three laps on the ground. “In the third round he collapsed and died,” he claimed. “They say it was cardiac arrest. If he had any underlying medical condition, there should have been some previous symptoms. He was healthy. We believe the school staff is hiding something.”

A classmate of the deceased boy reportedly told family members that Guru Kiran was slapped on the neck by the physical education teacher after the teacher woke up the students at 5am. According to the student, Guru Kiran was then made to run on the ground for two laps before collapsing. The family claimed that the classmate further alleged that students at the school were routinely beaten with sticks for minor reasons.

Mr Mallikarjuna alleged that the school had failed to produce CCTV footage of the incident and claimed that all the cameras were “out of order”, which he said was unacceptable. He claimed that the school management was trying to cover up the case and demanded a thorough investigation.

Attempts to reach Sterling English Residential School for a response by The Hindu did not yield any results.

Anjanappa, deputy director of public instruction, Bengaluru North taluk, said the department had inspected the school and registered an FIR. “There were 115 students in the hostel. All of them have been sent back home to their families. We will conduct a detailed inspection on July 9 and report back,” he said.

asked the teacher

There was tension in the school premises and outside the Bagalur police station as family members gathered and protested. The situation escalated in front of the police station when the officers brought in the physical education teacher for questioning. Distraught relatives of the deceased tried to confront the teacher, prompting the police to intervene and disperse the crowd to prevent any untoward incident.

The autopsy report is awaited

Police said they are interviewing school staff and awaiting a post-mortem report before deciding on further legal action. The exact cause of death will be determined based on the medical report and results of the investigation.

Mithun Kumar GK, DCP, North East Division, Bengaluru, said they have asked the family members who held the school management and teachers responsible for the boy’s death to submit a written statement. He ensured a thorough investigation and action in accordance with the law.

Published – 9 Jul 2026 11:02 AM IST