4 min readGuwahatiJun 9, 2026 05:30 AM IST
First published on: Jun 9, 2026 at 05:30 AM IST
Five Muslim students of a government higher secondary student in Assam’s Goalpara may be expelled Tuesday as a row over beef brought in tiffin by one of them snowballs.
The minor boy to whom the tiffin belonged was earlier detained and his mother arrested. The school has, meanwhile, directed that only vegetarian food be brought in tiffin boxes, located in a mixed-population area in Muslim-majority Goalpara district.
Ananda Rabha, the officer-in-charge of Krishnai Police Station, said the mother and son were facing charges of acts intended to outrage religious beliefs, and the complaint had been filed by parents of two of their Hindu classmates.
The woman, who is associated with a local self-help group, lost her husband, and is a single parent. Rabha said: “Since the boy is a minor, he was produced before a juvenile court. Four other boys are being questioned as part of the case.”
Officials said while the alleged incident took place Friday last week, as word of it spread, the matter escalated, with different organisations descending on the school the next day. The president of the School Management Development Committee (SDMC), Subrata Das, told The Indian Express that a meeting will be held Tuesday to decide on a proposal to expel the five Muslim students.
Das added: “On June 5, the five students of a Class 9 section tried to feed beef they had brought in tiffin to two Hindu classmates. The latter told their teachers, and the teachers and principal tried to resolve the matter within the school since it was a sensitive matter. But after the boys went home and told their parents and other people in the village, the matter became inflamed and local organisations began calling up the authorities. When it escalated, I went and met the two Hindu boys. A lot of people had gathered by then and the parents decided that they wanted to take it to the law. I called the police station OC (officer-in-charge) that night myself.”
Manidul Islam, a local All Assam Students’ Union leader who has spoken to the accused boys and their families, said the matter had been vitiated by different groups and organisations getting involved. “The boys said they were sharing the tiffin, when two classmates walked over and asked what they were eating. The issue grew from there.”
Amidst the chaos, both District Commissioner Prodip Timung and SSP Nabaneet Mahanta visited the school and assured action.
“Such an incident should not have happened, it should not happen. If required, tiffins should be inspected. I have already directed the inspector of schools that students should at most be allowed to bring eggs to school. Fish meat should not be allowed,” Timung said at the school.
The District Commissioner told The Indian Express that a magisterial inquiry has been initiated, but did not elaborate on the scope of the inquiry.
On Sunday, the school authorities, members of the SDMC and various local community organisations held a meeting on the school premises to discuss the matter.
While the principal could not be reached for comment, SDMC chief Das said the consensus at the meeting was that the five Muslim boys be expelled. “We have decided to expel them. We will have an SMDC meeting on Tuesday and take a final decision,” he said.
Islam, who opposed the proposal at the meeting, said: “Whatever the matter is, I said the students should not be deprived of education because of this. We need to focus on bringing back communal harmony to this area where all of us live as neighbours.”
The minor boy to whom the tiffin belonged was earlier detained and his mother arrested. (Representational image) 
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