Brutal ragging video: Beatings a regular in Jharkhand school?

Ranchi: After a cellphone clip showing senior students beating youngsters with a belt in Jharkhand's Sainik School sparked outrage, an FIR has also been registered against two students of the school. The High Court has also ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The clip - that's more than three minutes long - was reportedly filmed by a student at the Sainik School in Telaiya and shared it with the media a few days back.

First, a student is seen hitting young children crouched up in a line. Later, another student uses a belt to strike a student seven times. During the clip, references by those filming the incidents to posting the video on YouTube can be heard.

The management at Sainik School, Tilaiya in Jharkhand claims this was an one-off incident that took place a year ago and that ragging has since been curbed.

"As of today, I can assure you that ragging is completely banned. In the last one year, we've taken actions against 25-odd children," said Squadron Leader Amitabh Ranjan, Registrar, Sainik School, Tilaiya.

Advertisement

But disturbing accounts by junior students here contradict the school authorities.

"We were beaten before the summer vacation. Seniors used to beat us. They would rag us and beat us by hands. They haven't beaten us by belt. 12th Standard students would beat seniors by belts and hangars. On small little 'faults'. We are new, So we are not beaten that much. Students from 7th standard onwards are beaten badly," revealed a junior student.

Advertisement

Clearly, the beatings seem to be a regular part of the routine at school.

The shocking clip that surfaced two days ago, showing senior students assaulting juniors with belts led the Jharkhand High Court to issue notices to the school administration and the Jharkhand government.

Advertisement

An FIR has now been registered, against two students allegedly involved in the beatings. For now, though, no arrests have been made in the case. One of the accused students, still part of the school, says he is totally innocent.

"I am innocent and have done nothing of this sort," said one of the accused students.

Advertisement

But the big question is how could something like this happen without any of the teaching staff coming to know? School authorities have now confirmed that a guard was indeed witness to the beating but did not report it. That guard was subsequently fired in an unrelated incident.

It's clear that the real challenge for the school authorities will be to ensure the children there do not face this kind of torture ever again.