"What was his fault? He was only playing in his school…"

Amidst an overwhelming tide of sorrow, Rahul Sharma, a courier company employee, grapples with the untimely demise of his son, Kintan Saraswat, a 12-year-old with aspirations of joining the Indian Air Force, whose life was abruptly ended three days after a tragic incident on January 20.

The ordeal began on January 11, 2024, marking a day of infamy in the young boy's life. Kintan Saraswat had returned home from the Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya School in North Delhi, his body bearing the cruel imprints of violence. What started as an innocent day at school took a dark turn when Kintan accidentally collided with a senior student. This unintentional act led to a brutal retaliation from a group of older students who, fueled by rage, proceeded to lift Kintan off the ground and mercilessly throw him down. The onslaught didn't end with the fall; they continued to batter him, leaving Kintan to limp home in agony, a stark contrast to the carefree student who had left for school that morning. This incident not only inflicted physical pain but also shattered the dreams and innocence of a young boy aspiring to serve his country.

Kintan Saraswat, a boy with a zest for life, cherished the moments he spent running and engaging in slide games with his companions. His father, Rahul Saraswat Sharma, who earns his living as a daily wage worker in a private company, shared a poignant memory: "He loved running and playing slide games with his friends. He accidentally hit a senior while sliding his way back to the classroom. The senior kid called others and they beat him up. My son was brutally assaulted and thrown to the ground."

The distress in Rahul's voice was palpable as he recounted the incident, "He told me that the senior called other kids and beat him up. He told me that they lifted him forcefully, threw him on the ground down and continued beating him." The violence inflicted upon Kintan was not just a physical altercation but an unimaginable nightmare that unfolded in what should have been the safe confines of his school.

Rahul further shared the emotional toll it took on Kintan, "Kintan told us the boys got very angry…When he reached home, he was crying and limping." The sight of his son, once full of life and now broken and in distress, was heart-wrenching. The situation took a grave turn as Kintan's condition worsened, prompting an immediate response, "When his condition deteriorated, we rushed him to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital," Sharma added, underscoring the urgency and fear that gripped the family.

At Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital in Ashok Vihar, the situation became even more pressing. After receiving initial treatment, it became evident that Kintan's injuries required specialized care, leading to his referral to the orthopedic department. This development marked the beginning of a challenging journey for Kintan and his family, as they navigated the complexities of healthcare in the hope of restoring his health and well-being. The emotional and physical scars of that day would forever change the course of their lives, a testament to the devastating impact of violence and negligence on the innocent.

Rahul, with a heavy heart, shared a distressing encounter at the hospital, "The staff told us that the orthopaedics specialists were unavailable and on leave and asked us to come back after three days." This response left the family in a state of despair, as they sought urgent care for Kintan, only to be met with the harrowing reality of unavailable specialists when every moment was crucial.

The Worsening Condition of Kintan Saraswat Following the Assault

The day after the assault, on January 12, Rahul Saraswat made his way to Sarvodya Bal Vidyalaya School. It was there that two of Kintan's classmates confirmed the heartbreaking truth - Kintan had indeed been assaulted by some senior boys. The initial relief provided by medications was short-lived, as Kintan's pain resurged after a few days. Faced with their son's worsening condition, on January 15, 2024, the family decided to seek help from a different orthopedic clinic in Rohini, instead of returning to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital.

Rahul observed a concerning decline in his son's health, "Since then, he began eating less and started to feel worse. On 20 January, his condition deteriorated further." The urgency of Kintan's deteriorating health compelled the family to rush him back to the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital for immediate treatment.

In an attempt to stabilize his condition, the doctors administered intravenous drips to Kintan, which, for a brief moment, seemed to offer a glimmer of hope. Soni, Kintan's mother, recalled, "He feels hungry for the first time in 9 days." With this small sign of improvement, arrangements were made to nourish him with Khichdi, a gentle and comforting meal.

However, tragedy struck before the meal could reach Kintan. The young boy who had dreams of serving in the Indian Air Force, whose only 'fault' was playing at school, passed away. In an emotional statement to The Quint, Rahul Saraswat expressed his profound loss, "I didn’t lose a child; I lost my soul with him…what did my child do to deserve this? Why did God do this to us?" These words reflect the unimaginable pain of a parent grappling with the loss of his child, a sorrow that words can scarcely capture.

Sharma attributes the tragic loss of his son Kintan not only to the brutal assault at school but also to what he perceives as gross negligence on the part of the healthcare professionals tasked with treating him. "The staff told us the doctors (orthopaedic specialists) were on leave and asked us to come back after 2-3 days…We then took him to a doctor in Rohini who asked us to get a few other medicines. When Kintan took those, his condition further deteriorated. On January 19-20, we had to rush him to Deep Chand Bandhu again because he had fainted. He died later in the night…It all happened because of the negligence of doctors," Sharma recounted, his voice laden with grief and disbelief over the circumstances that led to his son's untimely demise.

Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal, the Medical Superintendent at Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, offered a different perspective on the events leading up to Kintan's death. "The patient had first come on January 11 and upon seeing his condition, which was not severe at the time, he was attended to at the OPD. His X-ray was taken and a painkiller was given to him. He was asked to come back a few days later but he did not do so and came directly on January 20. He reached the hospital at a very critical stage with a high fever, vomiting, and a high BP. Physicians, paediatricians, and orthopaedic doctors saw him but the child could not be revived," she explained, suggesting that the severity of Kintan's condition upon his final admission made it impossible for medical intervention to save him.

Kintan's dreams of joining the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an officer will remain unfulfilled, leaving behind a family shattered by his loss. He is survived by his father, mother, and a 13-year-old sister named Tannu, all of whom are grappling with the reality of a future without him. As the police await the autopsy report to file a First Information Report (FIR) in connection to Kintan’s untimely death, questions linger about the circumstances that led to such a tragedy and the roles played by those involved in the events leading up to it.

A Grieving Father Points to Neglect by School and Hospital in His Son's Tragic End

In a heartrending narrative of loss and unanswered questions, the parents of Kintan Saraswat have pointed their fingers at what they perceive as the glaring negligence of both the educational and healthcare institutions responsible for their son's welfare. Rahul Saraswat, Kintan's father, voiced his anguish and disappointment, questioning the basic safety measures in place at his son's school.

"The school does not even have proper CCTV camera. Isn’t it their responsibility to identify the students who hurt my son? We send our kids to school only so that they get educated, get a good job and prosper in life. We do it to ensure that they do not become daily-wage workers like us. Is this what we get in return?" Rahul Saraswat lamented, his words reflecting the deep sense of betrayal felt by a parent who had placed his child's future in the hands of those he believed would protect and nurture him.

The family's quest for answers and accountability led them to the school's doorstep, where they sought to bring the matter to the attention of both the principal and Kintan's class teacher, hoping for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to their son's brutal assault.

'Principal could have called police…': Father

Rahul Sharma's repeated visits to the school, driven by a desperate need for justice for his son, underscored his belief in the school's duty to take decisive action against those responsible for harming Kintan. "I have been there at least thrice in the last 10 days. Isn’t it their responsibility to book the accused for hurting my son? My son never got into any fights. He told us those boys were seniors and were stronger. The principal could have called the police or at least suspended the boys…It’s been three days since he died. We are suffering…," Sharma expressed, his grief compounded by the inaction and silence from the school's authorities.

As the family grapples with their profound loss, their calls for accountability remain unanswered, with the school authorities remaining unreachable for comment. This silence leaves a grieving family in search of justice for Kintan, a young boy whose dreams and aspirations were cruelly cut short.

Rahul has made it known that, despite his repeated efforts, visiting the school on four separate occasions to seek justice for his son, no action has yet been taken against the senior boys accused of assaulting Kintan. Each visit, he says, ended with the school administration dismissing him for various reasons, leaving the family's pleas for accountability unaddressed. Both he and his wife, Soni, have leveled accusations of medical negligence against the staff at Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, claims that the hospital's administration staunchly denies.

In response to these serious allegations, Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal, the superintendent of the hospital, provided a detailed account of Kintan's treatment. "The patient had first come on January 11 and upon seeing his condition, which was not severe at the time, he was attended to at the OPD. His X-ray was taken and a painkiller was given to him." She further explained, "He was asked to come back a few days later but he did not do so and came directly on January 20. He reached the hospital at a very critical stage with a high fever, vomiting, and a high BP. Physicians, paediatricians, and orthopaedic doctors saw him but the child could not be revived," detailing the tragic sequence of events that culminated in Kintan's untimely demise.

Amidst the sorrow, Sharma fondly remembers Kintan, his eldest child, as a boy with a creative spirit and a passion for life, who enjoyed making video reels and often used his mother's Instagram account to share his photos and videos. "He was inspired by the Bollywood movie Shershaah and wanted to join the Indian Army," Sharma reminisced, highlighting Kintan's dreams and aspirations that were so cruelly cut short.

DCP (North) Manoj Kumar Meena acknowledged the gravity of the situation, confirming that the police are in the process of gathering all necessary evidence, awaiting the postmortem report before proceeding with legal action.

The Delhi government has also issued a statement regarding the incident, noting that it occurred outside the school premises. Expressing deep sympathy for Kintan's family, the statement reads, “(Our) heart goes out to the bereaving family, who lost their child in such a tragic incident. A prompt inquiry has been ordered already in the matter…,” indicating a commitment to investigating the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking loss and ensuring that such tragedies are prevented in the future.