KOPPAL: Class 12 students of the PM Shri School-Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (residential school) on the outskirts of Kuknoor in the district have been accused of regularly thrashing high school students and threatening them not to reveal about the torture and ragging to anyone. To top it all, the school authorities too allgedly dissuaded the high school students from divulging about the torture to their parents.
In the most recent such case, the Class 12 students summoned about 60 high school students on August 20 on the pretext of a Teachers Day meeting and thrashed them with wooden sticks, belt, ropes, pipes and banged them against walls. The senior students also warned the juniors not to reveal about the incident.
However, some of the victims brought the issue to the notice of the staff nurse and some other school officials, but they did not take it seriously. But the issue came to the attention of some parents a few days ago and many anxious parents rushed to the school on Monday. They also complained to Koppal MP Rajashekar Hitnal and the district deputy commissioner, who visited the school and conducted an inspection.
The high school students poured out their anguish before the officials and the MP and the parents blamed the principal for neglecting the issue. They also demanded action against her and to put a stop to such physical and mental torture of the students.
School principal J Jaya said, “Some people may be looking to tarnish the image of the school. It has been decided to suspend the students involved in the incident. On August 20 evening, some Class 11 and 12 students beat up the high school students. This is the first time such a thing is happening this year. The students have been counselled and eight of them have been suspended for 15 days”.
“We don’t know the reason for the incident. If any student in involved in serious misdemeanour, they will be given a transfer certificate. If any student is victimised, they should bring it to the notice of the teachers and caretakers. We cannot punish all the senior students. Parents too should cooperate with us as it involves the future of the students”, she added.