Allegedly assaulted by their seniors, 15 Class 8 students at Bordumsa’s Jawahar Novodaya Vidyalaya or JNV hostel have sparked controversy. School authorities have suspended five senior students involved in the incident, which occurred on Tuesday, according to principal Rajeev Ranjan.
A police complaint has been filed in connection with the incident, in which junior boys were reportedly beaten with sticks by several Class 11 students within the hostel premises. The injured students received first aid at a hospital and were discharged promptly.
Principal Rajeev Ranjan convened a disciplinary committee meeting, where five senior students were found guilty of causing physical harm and psychological distress to the Class 8 students. Changlang Superintendent of Police Kirli Padu confirmed efforts to identify the accused students and assured victims and their families of appropriate action.
“We have suspended the involved students; this is an isolated case. We are investigating the underlying reasons,” stated Principal Ranjan. He confirmed ongoing communication with the assaulted students’ parents and highlighted that medical tests had been conducted.
The incident has drawn attention from the Arunachal Pradesh State Human Rights Commission, which has taken suo-moto cognisance. The commission issued notices to the Changlang district superintendent of police to provide details of law enforcement actions within 15 days. Additionally, the State chief secretary was asked to report on measures taken to prevent student harassment in all government and private institutions Statewide.
JNV, which accommodates 530 student boarders including girls from Classes 6 to 12, has previously encountered reports of bullying. In 2018, JNV Doimukh documented incidents of physical assaults involving junior students and seniors.
