Palghar: 35 students were ragged at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Palghar, while few students suffered injuries on the face to the extent of having damage to ear and eardrum. Three of the students were thrashed badly and suffered swelling on their faces, while one got a bleeding nose. The incident came to light on Saturday, when a parent complained to the principal.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India, targeting gifted students who lack access to accelerated learning due to financial, social and rural disadvantages. JNV is situated in Mahim village of Palghar taluka.
Six to seven class 11 students asked 35 class tenth students to come to the Udaigiri House ( a compartment/hall of the boy's hostel), under the pretext of giving instructions, at 11 pm on September 30. Those students who arrived late at the hostel were made to stand up, slapped, while others were hit on their private parts (genitals) and knees. The students were yelled at for not tucking in their shirts properly, not wearing shoes and for allegedly making noise in the mess.
Though these students went back to their rooms, they were again called to the House. The seniors thrashed some of them again over petty issues, scaring the young students.
One of the students, whose ear got injured, approached the school nurse in a critical condition. The student's parents were called and asked to take their son to an ENT specialist following which the doctor found the student’s eardrum in a damaged condition. The student narrated the ragging incident after which his father registered a complaint with the JNV Principal.
After this complaint, other students talked to the principal about their ordeal. Many parents of JNV Palghar students gathered today to register complaints and express their concerns to the principal.
“The case of ragging is very rare, we have initiated an inquiry with regards to the complaint. Action will be taken after the outcome of the inquiry. Exams are going on till October 14, so the action is planned to be taken after exams are over,” Principal Abraham George told The Free Press Journal.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) is a system of central schools for talented students predominantly from rural areas in India, for ones who lack access to accelerated learning due to financial, social and rural disadvantages. JNV is situated in Mahim village of Palghar taluka.
