Bengaluru, July 8: A 12-year-old student of a residential school in Bengaluru died under suspicious circumstances on Wednesday, prompting allegations of assault by teachers and protests by his family members and relatives.

The deceased has been identified as Gurukiran, a Class 6 student at the prominent school located in Kadayarappanahalli village in Bengaluru North Taluk. He was the son of Raghavendra, a resident of Subedarpalya.

According to the school management, Gurukiran collapsed while jogging on the school campus early in the morning. School authorities informed his parents over the phone around 6 a.m., stating that he had fallen ill and had been shifted to a hospital. However, by the time the parents reached the hospital, the boy had died.

The bereaved family has alleged that Gurukiran was physically assaulted by teachers using iron rods and sticks, and claimed that the pressure exerted on him at the residential school led to his death.

Speaking to reporters, Gurukiran’s father, Raghavendra, said, “My son was admitted to this school when he was studying in Class 5. The school claims that he collapsed while jogging this morning. But when we reached the hospital, we found him dead. I suspect something happened inside the school. The teachers might have assaulted him or done something to him.”

He further alleged that another student informed the family that Gurukiran had been beaten with an iron rod while staying in the hostel. “We have been told that the physical education teacher assaulted him. The police are protecting the teacher,” he alleged.

Raghavendra said his son had never complained about any harassment or assault at the school. “He never shared any complaints with us. What could happen to a child studying in Class 6? I strongly suspect he was assaulted. The school called us at around 6 a.m., saying he had collapsed while jogging and that his pulse rate had dropped,” he said.

Following the incident, Gurukiran’s parents and relatives gathered outside the residential school and staged a protest against the management. They alleged that the boy had been beaten with sticks and iron rods and demanded a thorough investigation.

Personnel from the Bagalur Police Station rushed to the school and attempted to pacify the agitated family members and relatives.

Another relative, Yashasvini, alleged that the family was initially not allowed to see Gurukiran’s body after reaching the hospital.

“When we reached the hospital, we were not allowed to see the child’s body. We later learned that the school staff had taken him to another hospital. We don’t know what actually happened. When we asked the management for the CCTV footage, they claimed that the cameras were damaged and the footage was unavailable,” she said.

Questioning the school’s version, she added, “If he suffered a heart attack, there should have been some signs. They have not provided any proper explanation and are simply saying that he collapsed while jogging. He was perfectly healthy. During the summer vacation, he spent time with us and never had any health issues. He was never hospitalised before. How are we supposed to believe this?”

The family also questioned the school’s claim that Gurukiran completed two rounds of jogging before collapsing during the third one. They alleged that the management failed to provide CCTV footage from either the jogging area or the room where he was reportedly taken after collapsing.

“They are saying the CCTV footage is unavailable because the cameras were damaged. We found that the CCTV cameras had been removed and the wires had been cut. We suspect foul play. Other students have also told us that children are beaten in the school,” a relative alleged.

Tension prevailed at the school as angry parents allegedly assaulted the physical education teacher in the presence of police personnel. The police intervened and managed to rescue the teacher from the agitated crowd.

Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of Gurukiran’s death. Further investigation is underway.

When contacted, the phone went unanswered at the residential school. The school is yet to react to the allegations.

Shares of private lender South Indian Bank tumbled nearly 10 per cent on Wednesday after the lender announced that it had received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval for the appointment of Mahesh Muralidhar Pai as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO).

The private banking stock declined as much as 9.86 per cent to Rs 43.02 on the BSE. At around 12:05 pm, it was trading at Rs 44.23, down more than 7 per cent.

In a regulatory filing, the private sector lender said the RBI has approved the appointment of Pai as MD and CEO for a period of three years with effect from October 1.

The bank said the proposal for Pai’s appointment will be placed before its Board of Directors at the meeting scheduled for July 16.

In addition, the appointment will require shareholders’ approval in accordance with the Companies Act, 2013, and the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations.

Pai (50) is currently serving as Chief General Manager at Canara Bank, where he heads digital banking and innovation, according to the exchange filing.

With nearly three decades of banking experience, he has worked across governance, strategy, treasury, foreign exchange, retail banking, agriculture and MSME credit. He has also led several strategic initiatives at Canara Bank, including the establishment of its gold loan vertical, and has previously headed one of the bank’s largest zones.

Moreover, he serves as a Director on the boards of Karnataka State Financial Corporation and Canara Bank Securities Ltd, the filing added.

According to BSE data, the stock has touched a 52-week high of Rs 49.90 and a 52-week low of Rs 28.13.

Guwahati, July 7: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the accused in the recent road rage incident in Guwahati has been arrested and clarified that the individual has no association with the BJP.

The Chief Minister’s statement came amid social media posts claiming that the accused was a BJP youth leader after a video of the alleged assault surfaced online and triggered widespread outrage.

“The accused has been arrested and is not associated with the BJP,” Sarma said in a post on social media platform X.

Reiterating the state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards such incidents, the Chief Minister asserted that strict legal action would be taken against anyone involved in acts of violence on public roads.

“Road rage has no place in Assam. Anyone who indulges in such acts will face the full force of the law,” Sarma added.

The clarification came after several social media users, including public commentators, shared a dashcam video purportedly showing a confrontation between two motorists in Guwahati.

The video allegedly captured a car owner being assaulted following an altercation on the road, prompting calls for immediate action against the accused.

The incident sparked a political debate after claims circulated online that the accused was linked to the ruling BJP.

However, the Chief Minister dismissed those allegations, stating that the accused was not affiliated with the party. Police have already arrested the accused in connection with the incident. However, officials are yet to release detailed information regarding the charges invoked or the circumstances that led to the confrontation.

The viral video has generated widespread public concern over incidents of aggressive driving and road rage in urban areas. Netizens and civil society members have urged authorities to ensure swift prosecution of those responsible and to strengthen enforcement against violent behaviour on the roads.

The Assam government has repeatedly maintained that law and order violations will be dealt with firmly irrespective of the background or affiliation of those involved.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, and police are expected to record statements of witnesses and examine the video footage as part of the probe.