Ahmedabad: A 15-year-old Class 10 student of Seventh Day School in Khokhra was stabbed by another student on Tuesday (August 19) following a quarrel linked to a week-old dispute. The injured Sindhi Hindu boy succumbed during treatment, sparking anger among family members.

According to police, the conflict stemmed from an argument a week earlier, when the victim’s cousin had a scuffle with an eighth-grade student over elbowing on the school stairs. On Tuesday, when the victim went to speak to the student, the latter’s friend allegedly attacked him with a sharp object and fled. Police have rounded up the accused Muslim student and registered a case of attempt to murder, which is likely to be converted to murder. Along with this, the police obtained CCTV footage of the incident and took statements of other students present at the time of the incident.

Additionally, the District Education Officer (DEO) has issued a notice to the school for failing to report the incident and allegedly trying to suppress it. The school has been asked to submit a report along with CCTV footage. Police said the exact sequence of events will be established after investigation.

Meanwhile, Hindu parents staged a protest and raised the question of whether Muslim students should be allowed to study with Hindu students in this school. The parents pointed out that it is the Muslim boy who has killed a Hindu Sindhi boy. The school administration didn’t take required action against the accused Muslim boy in spite of his violent record, the parents claimed. The parents, while speaking to media persons, also said that either Hindu students or Muslim students should be allowed to study in this school. Another parent said the school management was told six months ago about this, but they didn’t act. Another parent said that her Hindu boy was also being harassed by a Muslim boy, and the latter came to school with ten other boys of his community.

The parents said when the incident took place, no one came for help, the school authorities didn’t even call the ambulance.” When we reached the scene, we saw the victim child on the floor in an unconscious condition; blood was flowing, and we took him to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw. No security staffers of the school helped to carry the victim into the auto,” the victims parent said.

Parents alleged that although the school principal has a car and could have called 108 for an ambulance or arranged a rickshaw, no action was taken. For 15 minutes, the victim lay bleeding in the school compound, but the school did not intervene. When parents arrived, they rushed the boy to the hospital. They claimed that if the school had acted promptly, the boy could have been saved.

School principal Dr. G. Immanuel was unavailable for comment.

“The murder happened here only, they are saying that it happened outside the premises to save the school reputation,” said an eyewitness to the incident. “The schools did not do anything, he (victim) was lying there for around 30 mins, and after that he was taken to hospital in rickshaw by my friend, the school teachers did not come down they were all upstairs, the attack was done by instrument of Physics,” he added.

A student, who was a friend of the victim, claimed the Hindu boy was brutally killed using a vernier caliper and not a knife. Another Class 11 student said the murder was brutal, with several wounds on the victim’s stomach. He also alleged that the school management washed the blood from the compound.

Meanwhile, the police said they have nabbed two students and more are to be nabbed if their role is revealed. Police have also roped in the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to check whether blood was washed by the school management using a water tanker last evening. If such an attempt to remove the evidence is found, those responsible will be booked for that.

A large number of members from the Sindhi community gathered and said they would not accept the body of the victim until justice is assured. Parents assembled outside the school also alleged that the school does not allow students to wear tilak or chanlo.

Hindu parents further alleged that a Muslim student was bringing non-vegetarian food to school and offering it to Hindu students, reportedly describing the non-veg items as paneer. The parents added that they had raised the matter with teachers, but no action was taken. DeshGujarat