The Scindia School

Gwalior police have zeroed in on the students of The Scindia School who allegedly bullied the son of cooperative minister Jai Kumar Singh, battling for life in Delhi’s Apollo Hospitals.

Gwalior additional superintendent of police (ASP) Mohammad Qureshi said on Monday that the alleged tormentors of the 14-year old Class IX student had been identified. “They are students of Class XII and legal action would be initiated against them shortly,” he told The Telegraph over phone.

The minister’s son was found in semi-conscious state in the dormitory of his hostel on Thursday. He was subsequently admitted to Apollo Hospitals on Friday.

Qureshi, who is heading the investigation team, said the police have sought the opinion of legal advisers before lodging an FIR against the accused. “The accused are minors. So we have sought the help,” the ASP said.

Earlier, Gwalior senior superintendent of police Santosh Kumar Singh had said the boy was harassed by his seniors. “We have gathered forensic as well as circumstantial evidence to substantiate the charge against the accused,” he added.

The SSP said the inquiry into the allegations of physical harassment of the victim by his seniors was complete. “I have issued instructions to lodge an FIR with the Bahodapur police station, under which the school is,” Singh said, adding that the statement of the boy’s father had been recorded.

A Gwalior police team had gone to Delhi on Sunday to record the statement of the victim and his relatives. The injured boy was not in a position to speak. The statement of his father has been recorded.

Sources said three senior students, including a close relative of an MP and another of a senior judicial officer, were cross-examined after the police recorded the statement of the injured boy’s cousin, a student of the same institution. The third alleged tormentor is the ward of a businessman.

Qureshi, the ASP, said the preliminary investigation had revealed that the boy was being harassed for the past several days. A fracas had taken place on the institute premises over uploading of some pictures on a social networking site through the victim’s Android phone.

The police investigation revealed that the senior students were unhappy with the victim over keeping a cellphone with him despite the ban on its use on the school premises. The seniors allegedly snatched his cellphone and thrashed him. “The boy had complained to the warden of the hostel and the school authorities but no action was taken,” the ASP said.

A five-member committee set up by the district administration to probe the allegations against the students and the school authorities has submitted its report to the Gwalior district magistrate. The district administration had taken a suo motu cognisance of the incident after it was reported in a section of the media.

The report of the committee headed by sub-divisional officer Suchismita Saxena revealed that the boy was ragged by his seniors. “The probe committee’s report says a confrontation over some photographs on a social networking site had sparked off the ragging,” Gwalior district magistrate P. Narhari said.

The three alleged accused had also forced the boy to sweep the floor and stand in a stressful position, the report said.