Petlawad (Madhya Pradesh): Students of Eklavya Adarsh Residential School, Petlawad, marched towards Jhabua on Saturday morning to raise their grievances directly before the collector Yogesh Tukaram Bharsat, prompting senior administrative and police officials to intervene.
The students left the school around 8 am, raising slogans against principal Prakash Kumar Thakur. Despite efforts by school staff to stop them, they continued towards Jhabua.
By around 10 am, they had covered nearly 10 km and crossed Gopalpura. Some students stopped for drinking water at the old bus stand and Hanuman Temple before resuming the march.
SDM Ritika Patidar, tehsildar Yashpal Mujalde, BEO Devendra Ojha, BRC Rekha Giri and Petlawad police station in-charge Nirbhay Singh Bhuria tried to persuade the students at several points. Thakur also accompanied them.
The march ended before Kalyanpura after collector in-charge Jitendra Singh Chauhan, ADM CS Solanki and other officials held discussions with the students. Buses were arranged to take them back to the hostel.
Following the protest, the administration sent Thakur on leave under government instructions and directed immediate improvement in drinking water arrangements and food quality.
Thakur said he joined the school on October 16, 2025 and received financial powers on Feb 4, 2026.
He claimed he had detected serious administrative irregularities involving former publicity in-charge Sumit Kumar and four colleagues, which had also been investigated.
School authorities alleged that Tribal Society Organisation members Prem Singh Bhuria, Dharmendra Damor and Narvesingh Amaliar had instigated the students to revolt and had also
accompanied the students during the march. Petlawad police have taken cognisance of the allegation and are questioning them.
