Nine months after the death of nine-year-old Amaira at Jaipur’s Neerja Modi School, newly released CCTV footage has reignited the controversy surrounding the case, with her parents alleging that repeated bullying, ignored pleas for help and serious lapses in school supervision led to the Class 4 student’s death.
The footage, shared by Amaira’s family, captures the moments before the November 1 tragedy. It shows the nine-year-old entering her classroom normally, greeting a friend and participating in a dance activity. According to the family’s narration accompanying the video, the situation changed after classmates repeatedly displayed a digital slate to Amaira, leaving her visibly distressed and embarrassed.
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The footage also shows Amaira approaching class teacher Puneeta Sharma several times, seemingly trying to explain what had happened. However, her parents allege she was repeatedly interrupted by other students and never given an opportunity to speak privately. They claim her body language reflected growing anxiety before she eventually ran out of the classroom alone.
Amaira later reached the fourth floor of the school building, despite her classroom being on the ground floor, and jumped nearly 48 feet. She was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
Her family has accused the school of gross negligence, alleging that no teacher or staff member followed or stopped the child despite her visible distress. They have also criticised the police investigation, claiming key provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act have not been invoked against the school’s management.
Meanwhile, the CBSE has already flagged major safety failures at Neerja Modi School, including the absence of an effective anti-bullying mechanism, inadequate CCTV monitoring, lack of safety measures on upper floors and poor supervision. Police have chargesheeted the school owner, principal and class teacher under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for alleged criminal negligence, while the family continues to demand stricter action and accountability.
