A Class 7 student was accidentally locked inside a government middle school after he fell asleep in his classroom on the last working day before the 15-day summer vacation in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district last week. This prompted authorities to order an inquiry and suspend the school's entire nine-member staff, officials said on Monday.The boy was rescued more than four hours after the school had closed when a passerby heard his cries for help. (Representative Image)The boy was rescued more than four hours after the school had closed when a passerby heard his cries for help. The passerby freed him from the locked classroom and recorded a video of the incident, which later went viral on social media.Taking serious note of the incident, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Ramban placed the entire staff of Government Middle School, Krawah, Zone Banihal, under suspension and ordered an inquiry by a three-member panel, news agency PTI reported.According to an official order issued by the CEO, the incident occurred on July 4, 2026, when the student was found locked inside the school building around 8 pm, several hours after school had ended and just before the summer vacation began.The order described the incident as an act of gross negligence and dereliction of duty by officials responsible for the safety and supervision of students. It said the lapse had the potential to endanger the child's life and safety.Pending the outcome of the inquiry, all employees of Government Middle School, Krawah, Zone Banihal, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956.Also Read: J&K govt school teacher among two terror operatives held in KishtwarDuring the suspension period, the employees will remain attached to the same school until further orders, the CEO said.Three-member committee setThe CEO also constituted a three-member inquiry committee comprising the principal of Higher Secondary School Girls Banihal (Chairperson), the Zonal Education Officer of Banihal, and the headmaster of High School Bankoot.The committee has been directed to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the incident, fix responsibility for the lapse, and submit a detailed report, along with its recommendations, to the CEO's office within three days.Officials said the school has six teachers, including the headmaster, and three supporting staff members.(With inputs from PTI)