THRISSUR: Panic gripped teachers and students of Vivekodayam Higher Secondary School in Thrissur after a former student fired from an air pistol on the campus on Tuesday. None was injured.
The incident, unheard of in Kerala, took place around 10.30am. Jagan, 18, a native of Mulayam who dropped out of the school, was arrested and released on station bail later.
As per sources, Jagan reached the school, an aided institution in Thrissur's Naikkanal, asking for his hat that some teachers had confiscated recently.
Eyewitnesses said Jagan, who was wearing black t-shirt and pants, went to the principal's office first. Soon, he was seen rushing to the Plus Two section of the school, apparently searching for a certain faculty member.
While running from one classroom to another, Jagan took out the pistol and fired in the air and at the ground. The shots panicked the teachers as well as students, including small children.
The teachers alerted the Town East police personnel, who immediately reached the spot and, aided by people in the area, caught Jagan while he was trying to escape after scaling the school's wall. Sources said no pellets have been recovered from the spot.
Soon after news of the firing broke, several panicked parents reached the school. However, the management allayed their fears and sent them back. Classes resumed after lunch break by 1.30pm. Therambil Ramakrishnan, the school manager and a former MLA from Thrissur, said the school was treating the incident as a serious threat.
‘Had frequent disagreements with school management’
“The school considers it a serious threat. However, there is no need to panic as teachers alerted the police and the youth was taken into custody,” Ramakrishnan said.
He added, “Definitely, the students and teachers were shocked to see an old student wielding the pistol. It is a sensitive matter and we will deal with utmost care.”
Jagan’s parents informed the police that the youth had been undergoing treatment for mental issues for the past two years. They produced the relevant medical reports, based on which the police let him off on station bail and instructed the parents to provide him the required treatment.
Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese, Thrissur MLA P Balachandran, District Collector Krishna Teja, CPM district secretary M M Varghese, BJP district president K K Aneeshkumar and others visited the school after the incident.
The management said Jagan joined the school in the 2021-23 batch, but stopped attending classes following frequent disagreements with teachers. Though he wrote the Plus One exam, he did not attend classes and hence, could not appear for the Plus Two exam. Following a request by Jagan’s mother, the school issued him a transfer certificate and also a ‘harmless’ conduct certificate.
GUN BOUGHT FOR L1,500
Sources said Jagan bought the gun, Air Pistol 177, from a shop in Thrissur for D1,500 that he saved from his pocket money. He has been charged under IPC sections 448 (house-trespass) and
506 (criminal intimidation).