Unregistered school admin booked in Sabarkantha for allegedly branding 12 students

Sabarkantha: Police has registered a case against the administrator of an unregistered residential school Nachiketa Vidya Sansthan, here for allegedly punishing at least 12 minor students by branding them with a hot steel spoon.

The complaint was lodged by the father of a 10-year-old student. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Smit Gohil, it is alleged that Ranjit Solanki branded the complainant’s son and 11 other students with a hot steel spoon nearly two months ago. However, as of now, Solanki has not been arrested.

A case has been filed, with charges of assault and other offenses under the Indian Penal Code and the Juvenile Justice Act, against the school administrator, Ranjit Solanki.

Solanki, a resident of Poshina taluka in the district, serves as the administrator of ‘Nachiketa Vidhya Sansthan’ in Kheroj village, Khedbrahma taluka. An independent inquiry conducted by the district primary education officer’s office has revealed that the institution is not a registered school but rather an unregistered ‘gurukul’ with a hostel facility, operated by a trust. Its primary focus is on teaching Upanishads, Ramayana, and Vedas to students.

The complaint was lodged by Ramabhai Taral, who alleged that Solanki had branded his minor son and 11 other students for not waking up early in the morning. Taral stated that the trust had misled local tribals by presenting ‘Nachiketa Vidya Sansthan’ as a regular school with hostel facilities, where students could study and stay until Class X. Taral further mentioned that he only learned about the mistreatment at the school a week ago and confirmed the allegations by visiting the school. Despite burn marks on his son’s legs, the child had not disclosed anything due to fear. Later, the child informed Taral that Solanki had branded him two months earlier as a punishment for not waking up early. Additionally, Taral stated that students, out of fear, did not reveal the incidents to their parents for some time. DeshGujarat