Bhubaneswar: Parents of 27 students of PM-SHRI Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Paikmal in Bargarh district took their children home on Monday alleging assault, harassment and intimidation by senior students inside the hostels.According to a complaint submitted to the school principal by parents of the affected students on Sunday, the alleged incident occurred on Saturday night when several Class VII boys were allegedly assaulted by Class VIII students inside the hostels of the residential school.Nirupama Purohit, mother of one of the affected students, alleged that her son was cleaning his room on Saturday night when a group of Class VIII students barged in and created a mess. When he protested, the seniors allegedly assaulted him using brooms and ropes. She further alleged that the students then entered other rooms occupied by Class VII boys and assaulted some more students.The school has four hostels for boys — Udaygiri, Nilagiri, Aravalli and Shivalik. According to parents, most of the affected students were residents of Udaygiri and Aravalli hostels.They lodged a complaint with principal Arvind Patra on Sunday. However, claiming that no immediate action was taken, they decided to withdraw their children from the institution until adequate safety measures are put in place. By Monday, 27 Class VII students had vacated the hostels and left the campus.The school offers education from classes VI to XII.In their complaint, the parents demanded stronger safety protocols, enhanced supervision and tighter security arrangements in the hostels before the students return to school. They also sought assurances from the local administration that such incidents would not recur.While the principal could not be reached for comment, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC), Paikmal, Ranjan Bag, who initiated an inquiry following directions from the district education officer and the tehsildar, said preliminary findings suggest the incident was a result of differences between students of the two classes residing in the hostels. “The students found to be involved in the assault will be placed under suspension,” Bag said.In Feb this year, a ragging case had surfaced at PM SHRI Government High School at Khunta in Mayurbhanj district, where several Class IX students were suspended and faced disciplinary inquiries for allegedly assaulting junior students and forcing them to kneel inside the hostel premises. The episode had triggered concerns over the effectiveness of anti-ragging measures and supervision in residential educational institutions.
