Ballari, March 9 (IANS) A minor student accused of killing a fellow hostel inmate and injuring several others at a private residential school in Karnataka’s Ballari district was traced and taken into custody by the police on Monday after remaining missing for several hours following the incident.​

Police said the boy was found in the Gangappa Jina area of Ballari based on reliable information. After tracing his movements through CCTV footage, a police team located him and brought him back for questioning. More details are yet to emerge regarding the development.​

The incident occurred late last Saturday night at a Gurukul residential school on the outskirts of Ballari. According to police, the Class 9 student allegedly attacked fellow hostel inmates with an iron rod while they were asleep inside the hostel following a minor dispute.​

In the attack, one student died due to severe injuries, while several others were injured. The hostel warden and a driver associated with the institution were also reportedly attacked and sustained injuries while trying to intervene.​

After carrying out the attack, the boy reportedly fled from the hostel and went missing, triggering a large-scale search operation by the Ballari Rural Police. Police teams launched an extensive search and began scanning CCTV footage from nearby roads to trace his movements.​

Ballari Range Inspector General of Police P.S. Harsha earlier stated that nine children were attacked in the incident.​

“The incident occurred late at night at a Gurukul school on the outskirts of Ballari. Nine children were attacked by a boy known to them. Unfortunately, one boy died in the incident,” he had said.​

The injured students and the hostel warden were shifted to the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Ballari for treatment.​

Police said the boy will be produced before the authorities after doctors’ medical evaluation and counselling. Investigators are also questioning him to determine the exact sequence of events leading to the attack.​

Meanwhile, the victim’s family has raised questions about the school management’s version of events. While the school authorities stated that the attack was carried out using an iron rod, the family alleged that the victim might have been stabbed with a knife and demanded a thorough investigation.​

The parents also alleged that the accused student may have been addicted to drugs and held the school administration responsible for the tragedy, questioning how such a violent incident could occur inside a residential hostel.​

–IANS

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