AHMEDABAD: The brutal killing of a 15-year-old student outside Seventh-Day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Maninagar has ignited widespread public outrage, plunging parts of Ahmedabad into turmoil.
The incident has triggered mass protests, clashes with police, and a near-total shutdown across several neighbourhoods.
For the second consecutive day, grief turned into collective anger, as organisations including the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), and the local Merchant Association jointly called for a bandh across Maninagar, Isanpur, and Kankariya. The shutdown saw over 200 schools, colleges, and businesses closing in protest.
Tensions escalated when NSUI protestors marching toward the school clashed with police. Eyewitnesses reported stone-pelting and scuffles before officers moved in to disperse the crowds. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Division I) Krunal Desai confirmed that all protestors outside the school were detained, and a case was registered against nearly 500 individuals for alleged vandalism on the school premises. No arrests have been made so far.
Public anger has been further fueled by accusations of negligence on the part of the school. According to parents and eyewitnesses, instead of immediately rushing the injured teenager to the hospital, school staff allegedly prioritised cleaning the scene by summoning a water tanker to wash away bloodstains. By the time the student was taken to a hospital, he had succumbed to his injuries.
Investigations have since revealed that the accused, initially thought to be a junior student, is a Class 10 student. He has been detained along with another youth, while two witness statements have been recorded. Police sources indicated that the motive may have stemmed from a week-old dispute involving the victim’s cousin - a matter the school had reportedly claimed to have resolved internally.
Community frustration has also turned toward the police. The forensic team reportedly arrived nearly 12 hours after the incident, raising concerns about possible evidence tampering. Leaders from the grieving community have accused both the school administration and law enforcement of gross mishandling.
On the ground, the situation remains volatile. Amid calls for justice, some voices from the community, including residents like Savitaben, have made polarising demands for segregated schools based on religious identity -revealing deeper societal fractures that the incident has brought to the fore.