Ropar, July 29
Thirtyfive students of the Chamkaur Sahib-based Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya today fled from the school hostel. According to the sources, the children who were allegedly ill-treated by school staff escaped scaling their hostel wall at about 2.30 am.
All 35 missing students were in 12th standard. Till the filing of this report none of the students who fled from the school could be traced.
The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Seema Jain, said reports about the missing children were received this morning. The SDM has been deputed to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the incident to fix the responsibility.
Police parties have been sent to different parts of the state to locate the children. Inns and religious institutions where the children could possibly take shelter have been contacted. Parents and the kin of the missing students have also been informed, she said.
Meanwhile, according to the sources school children told the SDM about the bad conditions prevailing in the school and the ill-treatment meted out to them by school staff.
They alleged that students were not provided proper food and sanitation facilities. School staff also thrashed them on flimsy grounds.
Most of the students studying in the school belonged to the adjoining areas. At present 439 students were on the rolls of the school which was set up in 1988. There were 36 boys in the commerce and science wings of the 12th class out of which 35 fled this morning. Only one class 12th student who is from Kargil now remains in the school.
Students also complained to the SDM that power supply in school was just for few hours which made their life miserable during summers.
The school Principal, Mr S. S. Bedi, was not available for comments.
