Chennai: A shocking act of violence unfolded on the premises of a matriculation higher secondary school in Palayamkottai on Tuesday morning when a Class 8 student was attacked with a machete by his classmate, allegedly following a quarrel that began over borrowing a pencil two months ago.
According to police, the two students had been engaged in frequent arguments since their fallout. The simmering tension took a violent turn around 10 a.m., when one of the students brought a machete to school and attacked his classmate, leaving him with multiple cut injuries to his head, shoulder, and hands.
In an attempt to intervene and protect the student, the class teacher, Revathi (44), also sustained cut injuries to her hands. Both the injured student and the teacher were rushed to a private hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment. Their condition is reported to be stable.
Following the incident, the attacker walked to the Palayamkottai police station, located just 200 meters from the school, and surrendered himself along with the weapon.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Tirunelveli East) Vinodh Shantharam and Palayamkottai Inspector of Police Thillai Nagarajan visited the school and have launched a detailed investigation into the incident.
While initial reports suggest that a seemingly trivial issue — borrowing a pencil — was the trigger, sources hinted at other possibilities, including a fight over an infatuated relationship.
Police are continuing their investigation to ascertain the full circumstances behind the attack. Meanwhile, the school community has been left in shock, raising serious concerns about student safety and psychological well-being within educational institutions.
