Rod-wielding Class 9 student goes on rampage, kills classmate at Karnataka hostel

A Class 9 student allegedly attacked his classmates with an iron at a school hostel in Karnataka's Ballari district, killing one and injuring seven others. Police launched a search to catch the accused.

A Class 9 student went on a rampage inside a school hostel in Karnataka’s Ballari district late on Sunday, allegedly attacking fellow students with an iron rod and killing one of them, while injuring seven others, police said.

Police said the accused, who is on the run, assaulted hostel inmates with a bed rod at Gurukul International School after a minor dispute. One student died from severe injuries while seven others were hurt in the attack. The school management called the incident an iron rod attack, but the victim’s family has claimed that the boy was stabbed with a knife and questioned the school’s account of the incident.

According to preliminary probe, the attack occurred after dinner when students were asleep in the hostel. The accused allegedly struck multiple students with the rod and reportedly attacked the hostel warden, before fleeing the spot.

The injured students were rushed to the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) hospital in Ballari for treatment, with some reported to be in serious condition, police said.

The victim’s parents, devastated by the incident, alleged that the accused might be a drug addict and held the school administration responsible for the tragedy. They questioned how a minor could carry out such a brutal assault inside the hostel.

Police launched a search to trace the accused. Police said an investigation is underway.