Parag still in coma, kin call teacher’s act a ‘mistake’

Six days after he slipped into coma, 14-year-old Parag Ingle is yet to open his eyes. Hit in the head by a bullet fired by his school's National Cadet Corps (NCC) instructor on February 1 afternoon, Parag continues to be in a critical state at the Command Hospital, Pune.

His mother Sadhana Ingle says, "None of us goes inside the ICU to see him. We can't risk any infection as he is in a very critical state. All I want of him is to open his eyes."

"His friends, school authorities, NCC officials, corporators, neighbours and everybody have been visiting. But my boy refuses to open his eyes. We have lost track of who is coming and going," says Sadhna.

Parag was moved to the Command Hospital (Southern Command) after the incident. "The boy's condition is still critical. He has been kept on ventilator support and is still in coma," said Major General V Ravishankar, Commandant, Command Hospital.

Amod Anil Ghanekar (27), the NCC instructor who fired the bullet that hit Parag, has been booked under section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code. A resident of Shaniwar Peth, Ghanekar is NCC teacher at Loyola High School, Pashan Road.

On February 1, Parag had gone to the NCC Group headquarters on Senapati Bapat Road taking along 46 students of Loyola School. He was training cadets to fire a 0.22 rifle when the incident happened. Four students including Parag Ingle had laid down in position for firing practice. Ghanekar was standing behind the cadets, allegedly without having the authority or a gun licence, handled the loaded rifle negligently and fired it. Apparently, Ingle got up all of a sudden and the bullet hit his head. But Parag's parents are of the view that whatever Ghanekar did was a mistake.

"What happened to my son was his fate. We understand he (Ghanekar) should have been more careful but I don't think he fired on purpose. We said the same thing to the police but they said they had to follow the law," said Sadhana.

Parag's brother Makarand, also a Loyola High School student and is in class 11, had stopped attending classes after the incident. "Makarand had stopped going to school after the incident. The brothers are very close. It is very hard on him. But the whole hospital atmosphere is not doing any good to Makarand. So, day before yesterday, we forced him to go to school," says Sadhana.

Loyola teacher granted bail

A magisterial court on Thursday granted conditional bail to Amod Ghanekar, the Loyola High School teacher who has been booked for injuring cadet Parag Ingle during a training session at the NCC Group Headquarters last week. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) S S Bose granted him bail upon furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and on conditions that Ghanekar won't leave the city without obtaining prior permission from the court. He has also been asked to report to the police station every Saturday between 3 pm and 5 pm.

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