Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur

Jaipur, Jul 9: Fresh CCTV footage has reignited questions surrounding the death of nine-year-old Amaira, who died after falling from the fourth floor of Neerja Modi School in Jaipur in November last year. The footage, released by her parents, is being cited by the family as evidence that the Class IV student was repeatedly bullied by classmates and that her repeated attempts to seek help from teachers were allegedly ignored.

The family has also accused the police of failing to take appropriate action and has demanded that stricter provisions of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act be invoked against the school's principal and chairman, in addition to the class teacher.

Amaira died on November 1 after jumping from the fourth-floor railing of the school, falling nearly 48 feet. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Her parents have consistently maintained that prolonged bullying and the school's failure to address their complaints drove their daughter to take the extreme step.

The newly released CCTV footage, accompanied by a voice-over added by the family, shows Amaira entering her classroom, greeting a friend and participating in a dance session with other students.

The footage later shows several children bringing a digital slate into the classroom. According to the family's narration, some students repeatedly displayed the device to Amaira, after which she appeared visibly distressed, uncomfortable and embarrassed.

The video also shows Amaira approaching class teacher Poonita Sharma several times, apparently trying to explain what had happened. However, according to the family, other students repeatedly interrupted her as they spoke to the teacher about the incident.

The narration claims Amaira's body language reflected increasing anxiety. She is seen folding her hands while speaking to the teacher, later holding her mouth and head before approaching the teacher again.

The family alleged that the teacher's response appeared stern and intimidating. Shortly afterwards, Amaira is seen running out of the classroom alone.

According to the family, no teacher or staff member immediately followed her or stopped her as she made her way from the ground floor to the fourth floor, from where she jumped.

Amaira's parents said the footage reinforces their allegation of gross negligence, failure to address bullying and the absence of adequate child safety measures within the school.

Her mother, Shivani, alleged that the investigation had been mishandled and claimed the family had repeatedly struggled to get a response from the police.

She also questioned the school's supervision on the day of the incident, alleging that Principal Indu Dubey had failed to ensure basic monitoring, including proper surveillance through CCTV.

Shivani further alleged that her daughter had tried to seek help but was ignored.

"She felt that escaping the situation was better than facing the humiliation and consequences she believed the teacher was threatening her with," she claimed.

Amaira's father, Vijay, also alleged that influential persons were attempting to interfere with the investigation and said the family would continue its legal battle for justice.

Police have named school owner Saurabh Modi, Principal Indu Dubey and class teacher Poonita Sharma in the chargesheet under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to alleged criminal negligence.

Following the incident, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a show-cause notice to Neerja Modi School, citing serious lapses in student safety, supervision and anti-bullying mechanisms.

A two-member inspection committee found that although Amaira's classroom was on the ground floor, she was able to reach the fourth floor unnoticed before the incident. The committee also noted the absence of a mandatory safety and security committee, inadequate CCTV monitoring despite the school having more than 5,000 students, and the lack of safety nets or secure railings on upper floors.

The CBSE also observed that the area where the child fell had reportedly been washed before forensic examination. It further noted that students, teachers and support staff were not wearing mandatory identity cards as required under child protection guidelines.

The inspection committee additionally recorded the parents' allegations that Amaira had faced repeated bullying for nearly 18 months and that despite multiple complaints, the school's Anti-Bullying Committee allegedly failed to intervene or provide counselling support.

The allegations made by the family regarding bullying and negligence remain under investigation, and the accused have not been convicted of any offence.