Snake bites Kolkata schoolboy again in a week

A class 1 student was bitten by a snake inside a Kolkata classroom on Monday, marking the second such incident in the city’s schools within a week.

The student at Mitra Institution in Bhabanipur was bitten around 8:30 a.m. while in the classroom. The school is located in Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s constituency.

Chief minister calls incident “not small”

Adhikari, who also represents the area as a legislator, spoke with doctors treating the child and confirmed the boy was stable. “I spoke to the doctors and saw the student on a video call,” he stated. “Doctors assured me that the child will be okay. This is not a small incident for me, I am also the MLA there, not just the CM.”

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He promised appropriate action into the incident and accused the state government of withholding the school’s composite grant for the past three years. The funds are used to buy cleaning products, including carbolic acid and bleaching powder, used to keep the place clean and kill snakes.

The affected student was rushed to the SSKM Medical College and Hospital. After the incident came to light, forest department officials and police officers reached the school to inspect the place and investigate the incident.

Parents pull children from school amid safety fears

When word of the incident spread, anxious parents gathered around the school and took their wards back home. “I took him out of the school immediately after he entered the school. We were so scared,” a mother waiting outside the Mitra Institution said.

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Another parent added that because the school authorities could not find the snake, they did not have faith to send their child back to class.

Raja Dey, the head teacher at the institute, said that this was the first time he has seen such an incident during his tenure at the school. He added that they have taken all necessary steps to probe into the incident and take immediate action.

On August 18, another such incident at the Heritage School on the EM Bypass had sent shockwaves among parents. In this incident, a student in class 3 was bitten by a snake inside the school’s washroom. The girl was rushed to a nearby private hospital and was discharged a day later because doctors suggested that the snake was not venomous. Though the snake may not have been venomous, the snake bite inside the secure school premises has left safety concerns among parents.