Class XI student Amandeep Singh shot at his classmate on Tuesday because of the victim’s unpleasant remarks about the way he had worn his trousers.
Amandeep is a Samajwadi Party leader’s nephew. The gun belonged to the uncle, Ravi Pratap Singh.
Vivek Singh, the victim, was hit on the back and has been hospitalised. His condition is said to be stable.
The shooting took place at the K.R. Education Centre in the morning of February 9. The incident created panic on the school campus and students and teachers ran from their classes.
The school staff caught Amandeep (16) while he was trying to flee.
Vivek’s father is a havildar with the 37th battalion of the Provincial Armed Constabulary, a unit of the Uttar Pradesh police. Havildar is a rank just above constable.
The police have recovered the weapon.
Ravi Pratap Singh was district president of the Yuvjan Sabha, the youth wing of the Samajwadi Party.
Deputy Inspector General B.P. Jogdand said that Amandeep’s fellow students taunted him for wearing his trousers inside out. He was in the assembly on Monday when the taunts began.
“Amandeep, who is depressive, was indignant and lodged a complaint with the principal, Archana Mishra, on this,” Jogdand said.
{{/usCountry}}“Amandeep, who is depressive, was indignant and lodged a complaint with the principal, Archana Mishra, on this,” Jogdand said.
{{/usCountry}}Mishra called the students Amandeep had named in his complaint and rebuked all but Vivek.
“I thought my response to his complaint had satisfied him. What happened today was not in my wildest dreams,” she said.
Amandeep was teased again on Tuesday morning in the assembly by the same group of students, including Vivek.
After the assembly was over, Amandeep asked them to meet him in the toilet.
The boys followed him and Amandeep took out the revolver from his school-bag. Seeing this, the boys ran but he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Vivek on his back.
Amandeep told the police that his target was Javed, another accused who allegedly taunted him in front of girls.
“He’s repenting and saying that he didn’t want to kill anyone but only to intimidate them,” Jogdand said.