A disturbing incident of administrative humiliation has come to light from a state run residential institution in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. Nearly one hundred students residing at the Government Secondary and Higher Secondary Ashram School in Jambhulghat, located within the Chimur tehsil, had half of their heads shaved on Saturday afternoon. Staff members allegedly left the boys in that bizarre half shaved state, promising to finish the haircut the following day. However, when pictures of the partially bald students began circulating outside, panicked school officials woke the sleeping children late at night and conducted a rushed haircut drive that lasted until dawn.
Midday Haircut Drive Leaves Students Half Shaved In Chimur
The Jambhulghat ashram school provides boarding and education to roughly 572 boys from Class 1 to Class 11. School authorities claimed that the exercise was initiated to address an outbreak of dandruff and lice among boarders. The shearing began at around 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. In an alleged attempt to prevent children from running away or dodging their turn, the staff instructed the barber to use an electric trimmer to shave just one side of each student's head. Having half their heads shaved ensured none of the boys could leave undetected, after which the process was abruptly halted with the announcement that the remaining hair would be cut on Sunday.
Midnight Scramble To Trim Hair Until 4 AM
The situation exploded into a major controversy as images of the humiliated boys began spreading rapidly among parents and community members. Facing intense scrutiny from departmental superiors, the hostel management initiated a frantic damage control exercise at around 11 pm on Saturday night. Several students were already asleep in their dormitories while others were preparing to rest. Wardens woke the tired youngsters from their beds and lined them up to complete the haircuts. The midnight shearing continued uninterrupted until around 4 am on Sunday morning, covering approximately 80 to 100 students. The overnight operation has triggered sharp public outrage, with critics asking why a routine personal hygiene task was turned into a humiliating spectacle that forced young children out of bed in the dead of night.
Superintendent Prashant Meshram Blames Dead Battery
Facing widespread condemnation, Ashram School Superintendent Prashant Meshram offered an explanation that raised even more questions about institutional oversight. Meshram acknowledged that regular bimonthly haircuts had been neglected during the rainy season. With warmer weather setting in and students playing outdoors without washing their hair, dandruff and itching problems had increased, prompting the cleanup measure.
"We did the half cuts so students wouldn't wander off. The trimmer was being used on the other children too, but the trimmer ran out of battery charge."
The superintendent explained that the barber stopped work because the equipment lost battery power and deferred the rest of the haircuts for later. However, once photographs of the half shaved boys spread and senior headquarters officials phoned demanding an immediate fix, the management scrambled to level the hair overnight. Meshram insisted there was no ill intent behind the action. Notably, this same residential school was previously embroiled in a controversy where stale food was served to boarders, causing several students to fall ill. The latest episode has renewed scrutiny over child safety, surveillance, and basic dignity within the tribal welfare boarding network.
Parents Seek Tribal Development Department Inquiry
Distressed parents have demanded an immediate visit and thorough on site probe by senior officials of the Tribal Development Department. Families are urging investigators to record independent statements from the affected students away from hostel wardens. The guardians have insisted that accountability be fixed on every official and staff member who authorised shaving the children in halves, demanding strict punitive measures to prevent such humiliating treatment in the future.
