A gang of four students viciously beat a 15-year-old student from RC-1 Maloya Government School on Monday outside the school’s grounds, in a horrifying event. The incident occurred at around 2:00 PM, and the victim—a Dadumajra resident—has significant injuries, including many cuts near his wrists and eye, three stitches on his head, and fractures in both arms. The violent altercation brings to light the mounting worries about student safety in and near school zones.
Police records state that the assault resulted from an earlier dispute that took place a few days earlier during school recess between the victim and one of the perpetrators. When the attackers attacked the victim after school hours with sharp weapons and beer bottles, the situation quickly became more dangerous. The youngster was being attacked as he was departing for home, and around six outsiders joined in, adding to the brutality of the attack.
The principal of the school promptly took the severely injured boy to the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16, where he was given emergency medical assistance. Because of the severity of the injuries, the fractures from the attack required therapy and sutures.
The Chandigarh police have registered an FIR under Sections 115(2), 126(2), 351(3), 190, and 191(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the four minor boys involved in the attack. While three of the accused are juveniles, the legal proceedings will address the violent behaviour exhibited by these young individuals.
The victim’s father expressed his distress over the incident, emphasizing the need for enhanced security measures around school areas to prevent such occurrences in the future. He noted that the attack on his son was not an isolated incident but part of a troubling trend of school-related violence in the city.
Chandigarh director of school education, Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar, condemned the incident, calling it “very unfortunate.” He assured that the police have been notified and requested to increase vigilance outside schools to prevent similar attacks. “Police have already beefed up security outside schools, which has helped significantly curb such incidents,” Brar stated.
This incident is not an isolated case of violence in Chandigarh’s educational institutions. Just four months prior, a Class 9 student was stabbed in a park in Sector 39. Additionally, on February 8, a Class 12 student was stabbed outside the Sector 37 Government School, initially claimed to be a robbery attempt but later revealed to be linked to an ongoing rivalry.
The spate of violent incidents emphasizes how urgently robust safety measures for students are needed. The development and implementation of efficacious measures aimed at safeguarding students from violent interactions requires cooperation between the education department and law enforcement organizations. The implementation of stricter security measures, ongoing observation, and conflict resolution initiatives in schools might be crucial measures in addressing and reducing the likelihood of violence in schools.
