In a bizarre incident, primary section students of a private school in Surat were compelled to parade barefoot on a bed of ignited coal and glass pieces, as a confidence building measure.
"Primary school students aged between 10 to 14 years of Riverdale Academy in Surat were paraded barefoot on a fire bed of coal and glass pieces, to help them gain confidence," revealed an employee of Riverdale School.
"At the time of the incident, parents of these children were present, and they did not object to this act," he said.
"During the event, which lasted for close to one-and-a-half-hours, the children of primary section of the school kept crying profusely and also sustained injuries, but their parents kept watching the entire episode," an eye witness said.
"It was a merciless act on part of the school authorities, but nobody has protested the incident, as it was supposedly a self confidence building initiative for the students," he said.
Mukesh Patel, the director of Riverdale Academy, did not respond to calls made on his mobile.