Protests erupt after Class 10 student stabbed outside Ahmedabad school dies of injuries
Teachers were assaulted, and properties were damaged before police could bring the situation under control.
5 min read
People gather at Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School premises after an incident of mob vandalism, in Ahmedabad, Wednesday. (PTI)A protest erupted at a school in Ahmedabad on Wednesday morning, hours after a Class 10 student succumbed to a stabbing wound he suffered outside the school’s main gate on Tuesday. The deceased was allegedly stabbed by a Class 8 student of the same school.
The protest intensified with members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal joining the protest at the school as the accused minor and the deceased were from different communities.
Protesters assaulted teachers and the principal and damaged the school building and its property, before police could bring the situation under control.
The situation subsided by about 2 pm after senior police officials and local politicians held talks with the protesters.
JCP (Crime) Sharad Singhal told The Indian Express, “The protesters demanded a Crime Branch investigation, and the Commissioner has handed the case to the Crime Branch.”
“We are checking CCTV footage of the crime scene to check whether there has been destruction of evidence. While the primary accused juvenile was placed under detention yesterday, another juvenile is being questioned in this matter,” Singhal said.
The incident took place at 12:30 pm on Tuesday when the 15-year-old came out of the school. The 16-year-old accused approached him and allegedly stabbed him in the stomach. The victim was taken to a private hospital where he died around 3 am on Wednesday. The attack was allegedly a result of an altercation between the students a week ago.
Speaking on the investigation, DCP (Crime) Ajit Rajian told The Indian Express, “We are questioning the accused juvenile and another juvenile suspected to be with him at the time of murder. We are also checking whether others were also involved in this case.”
At about 2 pm Wednesday, the family took out a procession with the body of the deceased student and placed it outside the school gates. Later, the family completed the final rites of the deceased student around 4 pm.
Speaking to the media earlier in the day, the father of the deceased teen said, “I’m not aware of any previous altercation. If there was one, my son would have told me about it. I request the Gujarat police and government to support us and give us justice.”
School gets notice
District Education Officer (city) Rohit Chaudhary on Wednesday served a notice on the school management, seeking explanation. “The school management has been asked to submit their detailed response on how this incident happened, where the security was placed; if the incident did not happen on the campus but close by as revealed in the primary investigation, how did the victim student soaked in blood come inside the school premises after the attack, and what action the management took,” Chaudhary told The Indian Express. The DEO, in his report submitted to the state government, has highlighted the “negligence” on the school management’s part. “The preliminary investigation shows negligence by the school on two grounds. The first that after the incident they did not inform the DEO office and the second that they allegedly did not attempt to provide medical support to the stabbed student. After the incident, the blood-soaked student came inside the school and fell. It is alleged that there was no attempt to take him to the hospital or call 108 ambulance service,” Chaudhary told The Indian Express. Students and witnesses alleged that the injured boy laid there for half an hour. No school staff or those from the management came forward for help, they alleged.
Despite repeated attempts by this paper, the school principal did not respond.
On Wednesday, when the DEO and other education department officials reached the school, neither the school principal nor the management officials were present. The school has also not responded to the notice issued to it till filing of this report. If the allegations are found to be substantive, the ICSE-affiliated school can lose its No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is issued by the state education department. Expressing concern over the incident, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi stated that children bringing weapons to school is a matter of serious concern. Questioning the shortcomings in the system, he stressed the need to teach Gandhiji’s non-violence and values in schools. “I appeal to the government and socio-educational institutions to pay attention to the all-round development of children. The death of a child is a sad incident. The government should think seriously about this issue and include Gandhiji’s ideas of non-violence and values in education,” Doshi said in a statement.
Disciplinary panel in schools
Under the School Safety Policy 2016, all government, grant-in-aid and private primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools in Ahmedabad city have been directed to constitute a disciplinary committee in every school. The order issued by DEO City Rohit Chaudhary stated that the number of the committee members shall be subject to the number of students in the school. The disciplinary committee shall consist of the principal of the school, teachers and students. This committee has to take action to maintain safety in the entire school premises, during recess, in the sports ground and while students leaving and entering the school premises.
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