Ballari (Karnataka), March 9 (IANS) The minor student accused of killing a fellow hostel inmate and injuring seven others at a private residential school in Karnataka’s Ballari district remains untraced, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred late on 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 following a minor dispute.

After carrying out the attack, the boy reportedly fled from the school hostel and has been missing since then. Police said he disappeared within half an hour of the incident and managed to leave the school premises undetected.

“After crossing the school compound, there has been no clear trace of his movements,” police officials said.

A large-scale search operation is underway under the supervision of Ballari Superintendent of Police Suman Pannekar. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage from cameras installed along nearby roads and routes to track the suspect’s movements and determine the direction in which he fled.

Ballari Range Inspector General of Police P.S. Harsha said 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 said.

Apart from the students, the hostel warden was also reportedly attacked and sustained injuries while trying to intervene. A driver associated with the institution was also injured during the incident.

The injured students and the female warden are currently undergoing treatment at the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) in Ballari.

Police said the attack allegedly took place after dinner when the students were asleep inside the hostel. One student succumbed to severe injuries, while the others were rushed to VIMS hospital for treatment.

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

The parents also alleged that the accused student could have been a drug addict 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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