Telangana Class 10 Student Beaten With Sticks, Bats By Seniors In Hostel Room

An incident of ragging and assault has come to light at the Social Welfare Residential School and College in Telangana's Rajapeta, where a group of about 20 senior Intermediate (class 12) students allegedly attacked a 10th class student with sticks and bats, leading to multiple injuries and subsequent hospitalisation.

The incident, which occurred late on Saturday night, was reportedly concealed by the school administration and surfaced after a video of the attack circulated on social media.

The victim, a 10th class student from Chada village, who has been studying at the Rajapeta residential school since fifth class, was targeted because he holds the position of the school's Vice-Captain.

According to sources, the senior students were allegedly unable to accept or "digest" a junior student holding a position of responsibility.

The mob of about 20 Intermediate students reportedly entered the victim's room, armed with bats and sticks, and began to abuse and beat him. When a friend attempted to film the assault on a cell phone, the assailants switched off the lights and continued their indiscriminate attack.

Five other Class 10 students, who attempted to protect the victim, were also beaten mercilessly. While two of them sustained serious injuries and were transferred to a hospital in Bhuvanagiri for advanced treatment, the others received first aid at the Gurukulam's in-house dispensary.

The matter was brought to public attention on Tuesday after the victim's parents, Lavanya and Sudarshan, saw the disturbing videos of the assault on social media and rushed to the school.

The parents and their relatives confronted Principal Sudhakar and the teaching staff, expressing extreme outrage over the administration's failure to prevent the attack and its attempt to cover up the event for four days.

"They tried to kill my only son," Lavanya said, displaying the bruises on his back and chest.

The family held a protest in front of the college for over two hours, demanding strict action against the Principal, teachers, and all the students involved. They also cited gross supervision negligence, alleging that a lack of control by the staff has allowed students to become addicted to banned substances like gutka, alcohol, and cigarettes. The parents have demanded their son's Transfer Certificate (TC).

The victim confirmed that he was directly targeted by the seniors because his "responsible duties as Vice-Captain" were unwelcome. His family has demanded that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered against the 20 assailants.

Responding to the allegations and the ensuing uproar, Principal Sudhakar acknowledged the incident. He confirmed that the school had conducted special meetings and counselling sessions over the last two days. He announced that seven students, both from the Intermediate and Class 10, who were found to be responsible for the violence, have been suspended.

The Principal also assured the public that a special meeting with all parents would be convened on December 4 to provide counselling and establish stringent measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

However, the handling of the crisis, the initial attempts at secrecy, and the revelations of deep-seated disciplinary issues, including unauthorised mobile phone usage, students moving outside freely, and the escalation to "gang-style" attacks using weapons, have come in for sharp criticism.