Chennai, April 16
In the wake of a shocking incident where a Class 8 student attacked his classmate with a machete, authorities in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district have mandated daily bag checks in all schools to prevent weapons and other banned items from entering campuses.

The directive was issued following a probe into the incident by Chief Educational Officer (CEO) Sivakumar.

"Teachers must inspect every student's school bag before the start of classes each day. If any banned item, including mobile phones, pen drives, memory cards, weapons, or sharp-edged objects, is found, it will be confiscated, and appropriate action, including filing police cases, will be taken," Sivakumar said.

"We need to take tough decisions in the best interest of our children and teachers," he added.

Palayamkottai Assistant Commissioner of Police Suresh noted that although random checks had been in place after earlier incidents, they failed to serve their purpose.

"Going forward, bag inspections will be conducted rigorously to prevent such acts of violence," he said.

The machete attack on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the academic and law enforcement communities.

It is the latest in a series of violent incidents involving school students in southern Tamil Nadu.

On March 9, a Class 11 student from Srivaikundam in neighbouring Thoothukudi district was brutally attacked by three individuals while en route to appear for a public examination.

The student suffered severe injuries to his spine and skull and remains hospitalised.

In another disturbing case from August 2023, a Class 11 Scheduled Caste student and his sister were assaulted in their home in Nanguneri, Tirunelveli district, allegedly by schoolmates belonging to an intermediate caste.

The frequency of such incidents led the Tamil Nadu government to form a special committee in 2023, headed by retired judge Justice K. Chandru, to examine and recommend measures to curb violence in schools.

Notably, in April 2022, a Class 12 student at a government school near Cheranmahadevi lost his life after being stoned by junior students during a dispute reportedly linked to the wearing of a caste band.

TN machete attack: Daily bag checks mandated in Tirunelveli schools