A distressing incident unfolded at SAI RNS Academy in Guwahati on August 13, 2024, when a 17-year-old student, Pranjal Pandey, was allegedly assaulted by the school’s Director, Dulal Talukdar.
The student, who is preparing for the IIT JEE exams through Allen, Guwahati, had gone to the school to fill out his Class XII registration form and pay a registration fee of Rs 4500.
According to the student's father, a central government officer posted in Mangaldoi, Pranjal arrived at the school directly from his coaching center.
Upon reaching the reception, he was asked to first pay the quarterly fee of Rs 9350/- or consult the Director. Pranjal, who did not have sufficient funds, called his father to seek guidance. As he proceeded to the Director's office on the first floor while still on the phone, he encountered Talukdar, who allegedly began to physically assault him, reportedly for being in his coaching institute's uniform and using a mobile phone within the school campus.
The situation escalated further as Talukdar allegedly called for the school’s drivers and security guards to join in the assault, eventually locking Pranjal in a room. The student's mother received a call around 2:00 PM from the school, requesting her immediate presence. Upon arrival, she found her son severely beaten, with a swollen face.
The father, who rushed back to Guwahati upon hearing of the incident, lodged an FIR against Talukdar and unidentified security personnel and drivers at Bhagaduttpur police station.
A medical examination was conducted at Hyat Hospital, but the police have yet to provide the family with a copy of the FIR, asking them to collect it the following evening.
The father has appealed for justice for his son and emphasized the importance of securing CCTV footage from the school’s first floor between 1:20 PM and 1:55 PM, as it could serve as crucial evidence in the case.
Photographs of the injuries sustained by Pranjal have been submitted to the Officer-in-Charge at Bhagaduttpur police station as part of the ongoing investigation.
