Hyderabad: A scuffle between two students of a junior college at Shamsheergunj in Hyderabad escalated, when a group of outsiders reportedly entered the premises, creating chaos and allegedly assaulting parents and students. The incident took a communal turn, raising concerns over the safety of children in the college premises.
According to reports, the conflict began on Tuesday during school hours when a student observing ‘Ayyappa Deeksha’ was allegedly beaten by a group of classmates. The matter was brought to the attention of the college management, but no action was taken.
By Wednesday morning, tensions had intensified as a crowd of nearly 200 people, including Ayyappa devotees, gathered at the college, demanding action. Witnesses reported that some individuals entered classrooms and confronted students, chanting provocative slogans in the premises which turned what police described as a “children’s quarrel” into a communal issue.
DCP (South) Sneha Mehra, addressing the media, called against giving a communal angle to the incident. “This is a dispute between children that has escalated. People from outside the college interfered and created a ruckus. Matters like these should be addressed sensitively by the college and parents,” she said.
She criticised the college management for failing to act swiftly. She stated that educational institutions have a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of their students. “We are looking into the college’s negligence and verifying CCTV footage. Cases will also be filed against those who entered the premises and instigated violence,” she added.
Parents of the students involved were called to the college, and police officers, including Chatrinaka ACP Ch. Chandrasekhar and inspector V Srinivas Reddy, arrived to secure the children. The students were moved to the principal’s office for safety, but panic spread among parents who were asked to pick up their children immediately. Many children had already left the premises which led to further confusion and distress.
Parents expressed anger at the college’s handling of the situation. “The management endangered our children by not addressing the conflict earlier and allowing it to spiral out of control,” said Asif S., the head of a parents association. He demanded a thorough investigation into the colleges actions and called for mandatory anger management and counselling programmes in educational institutions to prevent such incidents. “We have seen these initiatives work in other colleges. They should be implemented everywhere,” he added.
Community leaders and police officials stressed the importance of keeping the incident from escalating further. “Children are innocent, and it is the responsibility of parents and schools to counsel them so that such incidents do not take on communal overtones,” DCP Mehra said.
She assured parents that the students involved would not be transferred to other colleges but would instead receive counselling from both the police and the college. “Both the college and the police department will be involved in their counselling so that it does not extend.”
