Chennai: A violent clash between senior and junior students at a government higher secondary school in Tamil Nadu has ended in tragedy, with a Class 12 student losing his life after battling for three days with critical head injuries.

The boy was allegedly assaulted by a group of Class 11 students at the Government Arignar Anna Model Higher Secondary School, police said.

The shocking incident occurred on December 4 following a clash between the two classes on the school premises. According to cops, a group of fourteen Class 11 students allegedly attacked their senior during the altercation. The accused are said to have struck the boy on the head with a wooden stick, leaving him with serious head injuries.

School authorities immediately alerted the boy’s family. His parents rushed to the campus and shifted him to the Government Hospital in Kumbakonam for emergency treatment. As his condition worsened, doctors referred him to a private hospital in Thanjavur for advanced medical care. At the private hospital, surgeons performed an emergency operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.

Despite the surgery and intensive care, the boy remained in a critical condition. After fighting for life for nearly three days, he succumbed to his injuries around 2.30 a.m. on Sunday, police confirmed.

Following his death, the police took swift action and secured all 14 accused students, all of whom are minors. They were produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and subsequently sent to a juvenile home.

Officials from the Patteeswaram Police said they had initially registered a case of attempt to murder based on the severity of the injuries. “After the post-mortem examination, the section will be altered to murder,” a senior officer said.

Police are now examining the exact sequence of events that led to the assault, including whether there was any previous dispute between the students and the circumstances under which the clash escalated into violence.

Authorities are also looking into the level of supervision at the school at the time of the incident.

The shocking incident has triggered outrage among parents, teachers, and residents of the area, who are demanding strict action against those responsible and better safety measures on school campuses.

The Education department officials are expected to initiate a detailed inquiry alongside the criminal investigation, as the tragic death has once again brought the issue of escalating student violence into sharp focus. IANS