Student's assault sparks huge protest at Jharkhand school, 5 classmates suspended

Published 17 July 2026 · india

Protests erupted outside PM SHRI Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Friday, a day after a Class 10 student was allegedly assaulted inside

Protests erupted outside PM SHRI Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Friday, a day after a Class 10 student was allegedly assaulted inside the school hostel by his classmates over a financial dispute. Five students accused of the assault have been suspended. Family members of the survivor, joined by local residents and community members, staged a dharna outside the school demanding strict action against those responsible and questioning the institution's handling of student safety. Read Full Story The demonstration escalated into a major uproar, with protesters raising slogans against the school management, while parents also created a ruckus on the campus. In view of the tense situation, adequate police personnel were deployed and authorities continued to monitor the area. The protesters alleged that the school administration had failed to ensure the safety of students living on the residential campus.

They also claimed that concerns over student welfare had been ignored in the past, referring to an earlier student's death under suspicious circumstances, which they alleged was described by the school as a drowning incident. The latest assault has further intensified anger among parents, who questioned the effectiveness of the school's security and hostel supervision. Protesters said children studying at the institution no longer felt safe and warned that the agitation would continue until the Deputy Commissioner of Dhanbad visited the school and assured concrete action. They also cautioned that parents would consider withdrawing their children from the institution if safety measures were not strengthened. Responding to the growing outrage, the school's acting principal, CK Yadav, said that the administration had initiated an inquiry into the incident and had immediately expelled the accused students from the school.

"The matter is being investigated and the accused students have been immediately dismissed from the school," he said. "A committee will be formed to take a decision to prevent such incidents in the future." Block Development Officer Indralal Ohdar also visited the spot and said, "This incident involved children being beaten. The matter is being investigated. Further action will be taken after the investigation". STUDENT ASSAULTED IN HOSTEL ROOM The protest followed allegations that Sumit Kumar Das, a Class 10 student, was assaulted inside the school hostel on the night of July 14 after a dispute over an online financial transaction. According to the complaint filed by his parents, five to six classmates tied his hands and feet before repeatedly beating him with belts. The family also alleged that the student was stripped, verbally abused and forced to drink a liquid during the assault.