Classmates allegedly assault class 7 boy at GD Goenka Public School; parents claim 4 months of bullying

A Class 7 student at G.D. Goenka Public School in Kolkata’s northern suburbs has been hospitalized following an alleged brutal assault that has sparked fresh debate on bullying and school accountability. The victim, 12-year-old Atish Goenka, was admitted to hospital after suffering serious injuries, and his family has filed a complaint at the Nagerbazar police station. According to the family, Atish had endured months of bullying by a classmate, identified as Tanveer Soni, and repeated complaints to the school administration went unaddressed.

The situation escalated on November 28 when Atish was allegedly attacked near the school bus area. The family claims that three students surrounded him, with the main accused, Pratyush Tiwari, allegedly kicking him repeatedly while two others restrained him. Despite returning home in shock and pain, Atish did not reveal the incident immediately. His condition worsened on December 3, and by the following morning he could not walk and was suffering from fever, prompting an urgent hospital admission.

The family insists this was not an isolated altercation but the result of prolonged bullying and negligence. Police have initiated a probe and said the next course of action will depend on medical findings, CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts. The school administration is also under scrutiny over its alleged failure to intervene when the initial complaint was made in November.

The incident has once again put student safety, grievance mechanisms, and anti-bullying policies under the spotlight. Parents and child rights advocates argue that schools must respond proactively to complaints to prevent minor conflicts from turning into serious physical and psychological harm.