Ahmedabad school stabbing: Teachers knew of clashes, made both boys say sorry, but never informed parents

Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Khokhra, Ahmedabad. (Photo: X/@VVipinpatel)

The murder of Class 10 student Nayan Santani in Ahmedabad was not a sudden or unpredictable act of violence, police have now found. Instead, it was the result of weeks of quarrels, repeated reconciliations arranged by teachers of the Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Khokhra, The Times of India reported.

According to the police, the tragedy could have been avoided if timely and strict action had been taken. As per TOI, a week before Santani was fatally stabbed by his junior outside the school gates, the same two boys had clashed in the presence of their friends. Teachers allegedly had intervened, scolded them, and then made them hug each other and say sorry.

"This was a recurring pattern, and the parents were never informed. Had they been informed, it's possible they could have stepped in, and the tragedy could have been avoided,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

The police officials also found that this was not the first time the two boys had fought. There had been several earlier confrontations between Santani and the accused, but each time the matter was dismissed as a minor dispute. Teachers and administrators allegedly avoided reporting the fights formally or informing the parents of both boys. Instead, they repeatedly believed that the hostility would subside once the boys apologised to each other.

The situation worsened when tensions reignited after a separate fight involving cousins of both boys. On Tuesday, the conflict escalated fatally when the juvenile accused, allegedly helped by a Class 8 student, attacked Santani with a paper cutter outside the school. Only after the killing did both sets of parents discover that their children had a long history of animosity inside the campus.

A similar incident was reported in Mahisagar district’s Balasinor town. A Class 8 student was stabbed by his classmate after a quarrel over a trivial issue, deciding who would step out of the classroom first. The victim was injured on the waist, abdomen, and shoulder, but thankfully his injuries were not life-threatening. Police said an inquiry is underway, TOI reported.