A 13-year-old boy, Class 8 student, of a residential school in Gujarat’s Aravalli district was allegedly brutally assault by the school’s principal and a trustee, who accused him of viewing an internal examination paper.
A 13-year-old boy, Class 8 student, of a residential school in Gujarat’s Aravalli district was allegedly brutally assault by the school’s principal and a trustee, who accused him of viewing an internal examination paper. The child was allegedly slapped repeatedly, beaten with a plastic pipe, and confined to a room for nearly two and a half hours. He remains hospitalised following the incident.
“My son was confined to a room and tortured for nearly two and a half hours. He was not allowed to drink water,” the child’s father told TOI. “He is still in a private hospital, suffering from body pain and swelling in his ears.”
Expressing concern over mounting medical expenses, the father said, “My financial condition is poor, and I cannot afford private care for long. I may have to shift him to a govt hospital.”
He also alleged that the police were not cooperating with the family and claimed that none of the accused had been arrested despite the seriousness of the allegations.
According to the FIR filed by the boy’s father, a resident of Mahisagar district, the incident came to light after the school trustee called him on July 18, informing him that his son would face disciplinary action for allegedly looking at the examination paper.
When the parents reached the school, they found their son outside the trustee’s office. The boy reportedly ran to them in tears and revealed that he had been assaulted by both the principal and the trustee.
The FIR further states that when the parents questioned the school authorities, they allegedly failed to provide a satisfactory explanation. Instead, they allegedly instructed the family to take the child away and threatened him with expulsion from the school.
Soon after leaving the premises, the child complained of dizziness, prompting his parents to call the emergency helpline. He was first taken to Modasa Civil Hospital, where doctors informed the police as the case was classified as medico-legal. He was later shifted to a private hospital for further treatment.
Following the complaint, Modasa Rural Police registered an FIR against the principal and the trustee under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt. The police have also invoked sections of the Juvenile Justice Act as the investigation into the alleged assault continues.