A shocking incident unfolded at Shri Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, where a Class 9 student, Samarath Bajwa, shot his physics teacher, Gangandeep Singh Kohli, on August 20, 2025. The attack, which left the teacher critically injured, stemmed from an earlier altercation where Kohli had reprimanded and slapped the student for not completing his homework.

The incident occurred shortly after the mid-morning break at the school. Bajwa, fueled by resentment from the earlier reprimand, smuggled a country-made pistol inside his lunch box. As Kohli was exiting the classroom, the student pulled out the weapon and fired, striking the teacher in the back. The bullet lodged in his neck, prompting panic as students fled the classroom in fear. Kohli was rushed to a private hospital, where Dr. Mayank Agarwal performed emergency surgery to remove the bullet. The teacher’s condition is stable, and he is under observation in the ICU.

Bajwa attempted to flee the scene but was apprehended by other teachers and handed over to the police. Authorities have registered a case under Section 109 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) against the minor and seized the firearm. The police, led by SP Kashipur Abhay Singh, are investigating how the teenager obtained the pistol and the circumstances that led to such an extreme act. “We are probing the case in detail. The accused will be caught soon. We are also investigating how a student got access to a firearm,” said SP Singh.

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The incident has sparked widespread concern, prompting the Udham Singh Nagar Association of Independent Schools to close schools in the district on August 21 in protest. The association condemned the violence and demanded strict action against the accused and those who may have supplied the illegal weapon. Vijay Girdhar, a member of the association, stated, “We stand in solidarity with the victim and demand justice.”

This incident follows a pattern of recent violent events in the region, including the shooting of Nanakmatta Gurdwara’s Dera Kar Seva chief, Baba Tarsem Singh, in March 2024, highlighting growing concerns over firearm access and safety in public spaces. The school administration has not issued an official statement, but the incident has raised questions about student safety and conflict resolution in educational institutions.

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