A teen fight over a favourite star took a casteist turn in a Cuddalore school, when a class 10 boy fished out his penknife in a rage and slashed his classmate’s head and neck on Tuesday. This comes a few months after a boy in Madurai attacked his classmate with blade after a caste skirmish.
In Old Town, the class 10 boy was allegedly attacked by his friend with a pocket knife in the head and neck inside a classroom after a fight.
But, sources alleged that the Kamatchi Shanmugam Matriculation Higher Secondary School management had warned the victim to say that he fell off the bench. It threatened him with denying entry to write exams if he revealed the truth.
Speaking to Express, the 14-year-old victim, who sustained severe injuries and underwent 13 stitches on the head, said, “On the evening of Januray 20, near Old Town police station, we were travelling home after school. When an argument broke out between us, he hurled casteist slurs at me.”
"Further, on the next morning (January 21), when I walked inside the class, he attacked me with a pocket knife in my head, neck and hand. I was soon taken to Cuddalore Government General Hospital for treatment by a teacher. However, after returning to the school, I was told to claim that I was injured by falling off the bench and if I dared to speak the truth, I may not be able to write the exams," added the victim.
The victim's father Lakshman (40), a daily wager, said, "We were informed hours later after my son was attacked. When we rushed to see him at the school, we were told that it was a trivial issue like a usual fight between students. I now seriously doubt the safety of other children in the school and school management's alertness to prevent such cases in the future."
When Express contacted the district educational department, an official who held an inquiry with the school management said, "The two boys have been close friends in the past. Both have argued on their favourite movie star, which lead to the attack. However, after the inquiry, the report has been submitted to the Chief Educational Officer for departmental action if any."
Bala, the school principal, said, "We kept both the parents informed about the incident and did not ask the victim to give a different reason for his injuries. Also, we are currently taking measures to make both the students to write the exams." Meanwhile, soon after the incident, the Old Town police picked up the juvenile and sent him to Juvenile Justice Home in Cuddalore. A case has been registered under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), Section 3(1)(r)(s) (intentionally intimidates with intent to humiliate a member of an SC or an ST in any place) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. Despite several attempts, the charged juvenile's family could not be reached.
Though the victim claimed that his friend had attacked him with a knife, hurling casteist slurs, the school management denied the incident taking place
