Group of Class 10 students of govt residential school accused of ragging juniors

KOPPAL: A group of Class 10 students of the Morarji Desai Residential School at Hemagudda in Gangavathi taluk have been accused of ragging their juniors who are studying in classes 6 to 9. Following a meeting with some parents, the school authorities have rusticated four students with permission only to write the preparatory and the boards exams.

The junior students deposed before the Women and Child Development Department officials on Tuesday.

The Class 10 students allegedly would get the junior to do squats if they spoke in the dining hall, and also got them to sweep the hostel rooms and wash their clothes. Some of the junior students also alleged that the seniors got them to complete their project work also. If their instructions were not carried out, the juniors would be hit with sticks, belts and pipes and their posterior jabbed with pencils.

There are about 250 students in the residential school run by the Social Welfare Department. Though the students claimed that the ragging has been going on for six months, the teachers and warden claimed that they got to know about the issue only last Sunday. Some of the students had complained to their parents who then raised the issue with the school authorities.

An official of the Women and Child Development Department at the school on Tuesday.

Women and Child Development Department officials said they received a complaint on Monday evening and visited the school on Tuesday. They also spoke to the primary section students and also the Class 10 students. “The complaint said that students of Classes 6, 7, 8 and 9 are being ragged by Class 10 students. We have spoken to the students and we will submit a report to our higher-ups”, one of the officials said.

The warden said the five students have been sent out of school.

“Two of the parents called me on Sunday and informed me about the ragging. The two students then told me that the Class 10 students would harass all children. The five students who were involved in ragging have been sent out of the school and they will be allowed only to write the preparatory and board exams”, hostel warden Ravikumar said.