The murder of a Hindu student by a Muslim junior on August 19 at the Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School has triggered widespread outrage in the city. According to reports, the accused student stabbed the victim on the school premises. Though the victim was rushed for medical treatment, he succumbed to his injuries later that night.
The incident has sparked protests from the victim’s family and members of the local Hindu community, who are demanding accountability from the school administration. The family has accused the school of gross negligence, alleging that officials failed to immediately take the injured student to the hospital, which may have cost him his life.
They further claim that instead of providing urgent help, school staff focused on cleaning the bloodstains from the crime scene, an act that could amount to tampering with evidence. Police have arrested the accused student and are now investigating both the murder and the alleged destruction of evidence.
The school has faced controversy in the past. In 2016, it drew public attention after a teacher assaulted a Class 4 student for talking to a classmate during an exam. According to reports, the teacher, identified as Moses Adla, violently pulled the child’s hair, punched him in the face, and left him bleeding.
The incident sparked protests from the victim’s parents and other concerned families. Under mounting pressure, the school was forced to suspend the teacher. Locals claimed this was not an isolated incident and alleged that the same teacher had previously assaulted at least four other students. A case was filed at Khokhara police station, and action was taken against the accused.
The school faced another controversy in October 2024 when it organized a trip involving nearly 200 students without obtaining prior approval from the District Education Office, in clear violation of government regulations. The incident prompted the education department to issue a legal notice to the school administration and lodge a complaint with the police.
Now, in the wake of the recent murder of a Hindu student, the school is once again under serious scrutiny. The victim’s grandfather has made alarming claims about past incidents involving Muslim students. He alleged that, on one occasion, some Muslim students brought mutton to school and served it to unsuspecting Hindu vegetarian students, falsely claiming it was paneer. The incident sparked outrage among parents and locals, but according to the allegations, the school administration failed to take any disciplinary action against those responsible.
Allegations Against the School
Following the murder of the Hindu student, serious questions have been raised about the role of the school administration in the incident. The victim’s grandfather revealed that around two months before the attack, the school was informed that the victim was being harassed by Muslim students. Additionally, the owner of the school’s cab service reported multiple incidents of Hindu students being assaulted by Muslim students. The cab owner even recorded a video of one such attack and presented it to the school authorities, but no action was taken. He also alleged that Hindu students were previously pressured to convert to Christianity or Islam. These claims of harassment were supported by other parents and local residents, who said the school administration ignored repeated complaints.
Furthermore, there are accusations that the school’s Moral Science curriculum is designed to influence Hindu students toward Christianity. It is also alleged that some members of the school administration offered to promote students to the next grade without exams in exchange for payments of Rs 2 lakh.
Who Manages the School?
The school is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church Organisation, a global network headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. The local management falls under the ‘Ashlock Trust,’ which functions as part of the educational division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Organisation. Worldwide, this organisation oversees a total of 7,804 schools, colleges, and universities.
The rules of the school are based on Christian principles, with church regulations taking precedence in institutions run by religious organisations. The Seventh Day school is managed by an organisation that follows the ideology of the US-based Seventh-day Adventist Church. Globally, this church organisation sets the guidelines for all its affiliated schools, colleges, and universities, which are then implemented by the individual educational institutions.
The principal of the Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School in Ahmedabad is G. Immanuel. According to parents, several complaints regarding violence and bullying were reported to him prior to the recent murder incident, but he allegedly failed to take any action. The school is affiliated with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), a non-governmental body overseeing its academic operations since 1990. Notably, G. Immanuel also currently holds the position of President of CISCE.
