An eight-year-old student tragically lost his life when a handball goalpost collapsed on him during school hours at St. Anthony School in Rajasthan. The incident, which occurred around 12:30 p.m., took place within the Goverdhan Vilas police station’s jurisdiction. The child, identified as Maharth Raj Singh, a Class 3 student, suffered severe head injuries as the pole fell on him while he was playing on the school grounds.
According to police officials, Maharth was hanging from the handball goalpost with other students when it suddenly toppled, causing him to lose balance and the pole to fall directly onto his head. Despite being rushed to MB Hospital for emergency treatment, he succumbed to his injuries around 2:00 p.m. Maharth, the only son of his parents, was brought to the hospital where his father, Devendra Pal Singh Chauhan, collapsed upon seeing his child and is currently receiving treatment.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Pratap Singh mentioned that Maharth was a resident of RK Puram, Titaradi, and his father is employed in the real estate sector. School Principal William D’Souza clarified that the incident occurred during the games period, with staff members promptly responding to the child’s injury by rushing him to the hospital for medical attention. Despite CPR attempts by the staff and efforts by doctors, the young student could not be revived.
The school explained that the goalpost, a movable structure typically kept aside and brought out during play, had multiple children hanging from it when it lost balance and collapsed. Following the tragic event, relatives of the deceased and members of Karni Sena gathered outside the hospital mortuary, expressing concerns over alleged negligence by the school administration. This led to a tense exchange between family members and representatives of private school associations.
Questioning the school’s safety protocols, the family demanded accountability for the incident. After discussions between the family and school authorities, the child’s body was released to the relatives for the last rites, which will be held at the family’s ancestral village, Umbada, in Banswara district. Police have initiated an investigation to determine if there was any negligence in the school’s safety arrangements.
