Classmate assaults 14-year-old with iron rod

Mapusa: A 14-year-old Class IX student of a Mapusa-based school was rendered semi-unconscious after he was assaulted with an iron rod and a baton by a classmate in the school’s toilet on Thursday.The victim, who is currently under observation at the North Goa district hospital, was allegedly lured into the toilet and attacked over a trivial dispute at approximately 10.30am on Thursday.The school management has moved to suspend the suspect for three days.According to the complaint filed by the victim’s family with the Mapusa police, the suspect intercepted the victim and led him to the school toilets. Sources said that the victim was subjected to a flurry of fist blows to the head and struck repeatedly with a rod.

The assault was so severe that the boy’s screams eventually alerted another classmate, who intervened to pull the victim from the suspect’s clutches and alerted the school authorities.The severity of the situation became clear when the victim’s father received a cryptic, distressing call from the school administration, requesting that he come to the school immediately with a four-wheeler.“Upon arrival, I found my son in a semi-comatose state. He was rushed to the North Goa district hospital before being transferred to the GMC, eventually returning to the district facility for treatment,” the father said.

The victim’s family stated that testimonies from other students suggest a long-standing history of terror orchestrated by the suspect.“This wasn’t an isolated argument; it was a campaign of trauma,” the victim’s father said. “My son’s poor attendance in recent months wasn’t due to a lack of interest, but a deep-seated fear of these continuous assaults. He was being hunted at school.”The family further alleged that the suspect has a documented history of bullying and violence against other students too, and they have demanded the suspect’s rustication to ensure the safety of students.Based on the complaint, the Mapusa police consequently sent a report to the Juvenile Justice Board for further action. The suspect was produced before the board and later sent home. Further action in the case will be as per the directives of board, a police officer said.