Ahmedabad: A disturbing incident at a private school in the Maninagar area of Ahmedabad has raised fresh concerns about student safety, after a Class 6 student allegedly mixed a chemical substance into a classmate’s water bottle following a verbal dispute.
The incident took place around four days ago at Durga School, according to city district education officer Rohit Chaudhary.
Dispute Led to Retaliation
Chaudhary said the two students had an argument a few days before the incident. Allegedly harbouring resentment, one of them later slipped a chemical tablet into the other student’s water bottle while it was kept inside the classroom.
“The student consumed some water but stopped after noticing an unusual smell. Soon after, he began vomiting,” Chaudhary said.
Teachers were alerted immediately, and the child was provided medical treatment. School officials said timely intervention prevented serious complications.
CCTV Footage Confirms Incident
Following the episode, the school management reviewed CCTV footage installed on the campus. Officials said the footage clearly showed a student adding a tablet to the water bottle.
Both students were questioned, and their parents were summoned to the school. After discussions, the families decided to resolve the matter amicably and chose not to file a police complaint.
Authorities confirmed that the affected student is now stable and has not reported any further health issues.
School trustee HN Patel and principal Ketan Shah were unavailable for comment.
Growing Safety Concerns
The incident has once again highlighted concerns over safety and discipline in city schools. In January, a Class 10 student was assaulted by a mob outside National School in Ghatlodia. Earlier, a fatal assault outside Seventh Day Adventist School in September 2025 had also raised questions about student behaviour and supervision.
Education officials have said they are urging schools to strengthen monitoring, counselling, and conflict-resolution mechanisms to prevent such incidents in the future.
Authorities have also emphasised the need for parents and teachers to closely observe changes in students’ behaviour and address disputes before they escalate into harmful actions.
