Gujarat: 2 blind school students suspended for beating classmates

Bhavnagar: The trustees of a school for visually impaired children in Bhavnagar on Tuesday suspended two students and asked 10 others to apologise for allegedly beating two fellow students from the same school on suspicion of stealing money from their bags.

The incident took place at K.K. School and Home for the Blind.

The school’s general secretary Labhubhai Sonani told IANS, “On Sunday, when the warden was on leave, 12 students took two students to different classrooms and thrashed them, as they suspected that the duo stole money from their bags.”

“The matter came to the notice of the girl’s hostel warden late on Sunday evening, but she didn’t inform the trustees about the incident. It was carelessness on her part,” Sonani said.

The school’s trustees came to know about the incident only after one of the victim’s parents hospitalised him and lodged a criminal complaint with the Bhavnagar police station, Sonani said.

Following an inquiry, 12 students were identified to be involved in the matter, out of which two were found responsible for mercilessly beating their classmates.

Of the 12 students, two have been suspended and their parents have been asked to take them home.

The parents of the remaining 10 students were summoned and informed about the incident, and asked to submit written apologies. One student, who was found guilty of stealing money, was sent back home with her parents, Sonani said.

Meanwhile, members of the district social justice and child welfare committee reached the school on Tuesday to conduct a probe into the matter, Sonani said.