Ahmedabad witnessed a shocking incident on Tuesday (August 19) that left the entire city disturbed. A 15-year-old Class 10 student of Seventh Day School in Khokhra was stabbed by another student after a quarrel that was linked to a week-old dispute. The victim, a Sindhi Hindu boy, succumbed during treatment, leaving his family members in deep grief and anger.

According to the police investigation, the clash had its roots in a minor quarrel that had taken place a week earlier. At that time, the victim’s cousin had a scuffle with an eighth-grade student over elbowing on the school stairs. What seemed like a small altercation eventually turned into a serious matter. On the day of the incident, when the Class 10 boy went to talk to the younger student regarding the previous issue, the situation escalated further. Shockingly, the latter’s friend allegedly attacked him with a sharp object and then fled from the scene.

Police immediately rounded up the accused Muslim student and registered a case under attempt to murder, which, after the boy’s death, is expected to be converted to a murder case. Alongside this, the police obtained the CCTV footage from the school premises and recorded the statements of other students who had witnessed the horrifying incident.

The tragedy not only exposed the violence among students but also revealed the negligence of the school. The District Education Officer (DEO) issued a notice to the school authorities for failing to report the crime promptly and for allegedly attempting to suppress it. The school has been asked to submit a detailed report along with CCTV evidence. Police have clarified that the exact sequence of events will only be established after the full investigation.

Meanwhile, the incident triggered protests from Hindu parents who openly questioned whether Muslim students should be allowed to study in the same institution alongside Hindu students. The grieving parents pointed out that it was indeed a Muslim boy who killed a Hindu Sindhi boy, and that the school administration had failed to act despite being aware of the accused student’s violent past.

Parents expressed their anger to the media, stating, “either Hindu students or Muslim students should be allowed to study in this school.” Another parent recalled that school management had been informed six months earlier about such issues, yet no action was taken. One mother even revealed that her Hindu son was repeatedly harassed by a Muslim boy, who once arrived at school accompanied by ten other boys from his community.

Adding to the parents’ pain was the alleged apathy shown by the school authorities during the incident. They said that when the boy was attacked, no immediate help was provided by the staff. One parent recalled in tears, “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 parents further alleged that even though the school principal had a car and could have easily called 108 for an ambulance or arranged a rickshaw, no action was taken. For nearly fifteen minutes, the boy lay in the school compound bleeding, but the school authorities did not step in. Only when the parents rushed to the spot was the child finally taken to the hospital. Families strongly believe that if the school had acted promptly, their son’s life could have been saved.

Attempts were made to reach the school principal, Dr. G. Immanuel, but he was unavailable for comment.

The brutality of the attack also shocked students. One friend of the victim revealed that the Hindu boy was not stabbed with a knife but with a vernier caliper. Another Class 11 student said that the murder was extremely brutal, adding that there were multiple wounds on the victim’s stomach. He also accused the school management of attempting to erase evidence by washing away the blood from the compound.

In response, the police confirmed that they had already nabbed two students and warned that more arrests would follow if further involvement was established. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has been roped in to examine whether the school administration used a water tanker to wash the blood from the scene. Police said that if evidence tampering is confirmed, those responsible would also be booked.

The tragic killing also sparked anger in the Sindhi community. A large gathering took place where community members declared that they would not accept the body of the victim until justice was assured.

Parents assembled outside the school voiced several other allegations. They claimed that the school discriminated against Hindu culture by not allowing students to wear tilak or chanlo. Some parents even added that a Muslim student frequently brought non-vegetarian food to the school and offered it to Hindu students while pretending it was paneer. Despite repeated complaints to the teachers, they alleged, no corrective action was taken.

Addressing the press, DCP Crime Branch Sharad Singhal explained the chain of events. He said, “Two students entered into a quarrel yesterday. One of them stabbed the other; he died...People protested outside the school and vandalised here. Police reached here on time...The situation is stable right now. The antim yatra of the child will happen this evening. Police will be present there too...” His statement highlighted both the seriousness of the crime and the subsequent unrest that had spread outside the Seventh Day Adventist School in Khokhra. By reassuring the public that the police had already intervened and that the situation was currently under control, he sought to bring a sense of stability to a community shaken by violence and grief. He also confirmed that security would be tightened during the funeral procession of the young boy, as emotions remained high.

Political voices also joined in, urging calm. BJP MLA Amul Bhatt described the tragedy as deeply distressing but emphasized the need for dignity in mourning. He said, “Whatever happened is unfortunate, but the family should be allowed to perform the last rites of the child...” His appeal was directed at ensuring that the grieving family was not further troubled by protests, unrest, or interference during their son’s final rites.

Both statements reflected the gravity of the situation. On one side, law enforcement promised to maintain peace and order, while on the other, political leaders reminded the community that respect and space must be given to the mourning family.

Confirming the administrative negligence, District Education Officer Rohit Chaudhary stated that the school had indeed failed to notify authorities on time and that a formal notice had been issued. The school has since declared a holiday to pay respects to the deceased student.

Violence Erupts After Student’s Death: Staff Assaulted, Property Vandalised at Seventh Day Adventist School

The tragic death of a Class 10 student of Seventh Day Adventist School in Khokhra on Tuesday did not just leave the city in shock but also sparked large-scale violence the following day. On Wednesday, what began as an angry protest by parents and community members over the stabbing incident quickly turned into serious vandalism and assaults inside the school premises, forcing police to step in with a lathi-charge.

By early morning, the atmosphere outside the school had turned tense. More than 2,000 people gathered, including aggrieved parents, members of the Sindhi community, and activists from Bajrang Dal, VHP, and ABVP. Many in the crowd were seen draped in saffron scarves while loudly chanting “Jai Shri Ram.” Witnesses said that soon after, the mob forced its way inside the school campus. They smashed doors, windows, and glass panes and went on to damage buses, cars, and two-wheelers that were parked within the compound.

According to eyewitness accounts, the anger of the mob did not stop at destroying property. They indiscriminately beat staff members, dragged one employee upstairs by his collar, and even thrashed the school principal along with other staff members they encountered. Shockingly, even as the police reached the spot, the mob continued its assault. The situation worsened to such an extent that when police officers attempted to escort injured staff out of the building, protesters attacked the vehicles and even tried to overturn a police van.

Once the ransacking of the school was complete, the mob sat on the road adjoining the school premises. They staged a blockade and raised slogans against the police. The escalating chaos finally forced the police to conduct a lathi-charge to bring the situation back under control. Senior officials, including Maninagar MLA, DCP Baldev Desai, and the local ACP, rushed to the scene to monitor the situation closely and ensure that further violence was prevented.

The violence had its roots in the tragic death of 15-year-old Nayan Girishbhai Sindhi, a Class 10 student who had been stabbed the previous day by a fellow student. He had been admitted to a private hospital in Maninagar but succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday. Police investigations revealed that the attack on Nayan was not sudden but the result of a simmering grudge. Just a week earlier, he had been attacked by a Class 8 student and his friends near the Maniyasha Society gate following a quarrel that began on the school staircase. That small dispute had tragically escalated into a fatal act of violence.

Following the incident, the boy’s mother lodged a complaint, and Khokhra police promptly booked the accused juvenile for murder under the Juvenile Justice Act. Police also confirmed that they had secured CCTV footage to assist the investigation.

However, senior police officers admitted that the violence on Wednesday revealed serious lapses in crowd control. Despite the presence of law enforcement at the site, the mob was still able to assault staff and vandalise property. A senior police officer told reporters, “We are verifying video evidence and action will be taken against all those involved in the rioting.”

This statement underlined that accountability will not be limited to the initial stabbing but will also extend to those responsible for the violent backlash that shook the school and surrounding community.