Indore: Six students of Classes 10 and 11 at Eklavya Model Residential School in Garadawad-Labrada village of Dhar district and run by the tribal welfare department have alleged they were assaulted with belts by senior students after returning late to the hostel.While the school administration has denied the allegations of physical assault, the department has ordered an inquiry into the incident on Monday.According to the students, the incident occurred early Sunday after they returned to the hostel around 2 am. Students alleged six of them left the hostel around 11:30 pm on Saturday to have food outside. They claimed that on their return, a group of senior students confronted them on Sunday morning and beat them with belts, leaving injury marks on their backs.“We have initiated an enquiry into the matter. There are six students from Classes 10 and 11 who have alleged they were beaten by senior students. The school principal has submitted a report, which will now be placed before the district collector for further action,” tribal welfare department assistant commissioner Parul Jain told TOI.The school in charge Amit Soni said the administration had received complaints and had begun its own inquiry. However, he maintained that the six students violated hostel rules by cutting a window grill and scaling the boundary wall to leave the campus late at night.He said all six students who left the hostel without permission were issued transfer certificates (TCs), while the students accused of assaulting them have also been expelled from the school pending further proceedings.The incident has also raised concerns over campus security. Although Soni admitted that the students’ ability to leave the hostel exposed a lapse in security, he said the campus is equipped with CCTV surveillance and adequate security arrangements.
