Rudra’s Manali Trip Death: Ghaziabad Holds Candle March

Ghaziabad: Relatives, parents and students held a peaceful candle march on Sunday, October 18, seeking justice for Rudra Kumar, a Class 11 student of Brightland School in Govindpuram who died during a school trip to Manali. The procession began at Gaur Homes society, passed through parts of Govindpuram and reached the school. Participants carried candles and placards calling for justice and accountability.

According to Jagran’s October 14 report and reporting by Hindustan, Rudra died after falling from a hillside in Rohtang on Tuesday, October 13. He was among students travelling to Manali on a trip organised by the school. Jagran reported that his body reached Ghaziabad on Wednesday. The death and the subsequent Sunday candle march were separate events, rather than developments that took place on the same day.

The family has alleged negligence by the school management and inadequate supervision. Relatives said about five or six teachers accompanied 103 students on the trip. In their account, Rudra fell around noon, but the school did not inform them promptly; they learnt what had happened through a police phone call at about 5 pm. They also said no school representative had visited them by the time they gave their account. These are the family’s allegations, not established findings of fault.

People taking part in the march demanded justice for Rudra and accountability for his death. Hindustan reported that students and relatives carried “Justice for Rudra Kumar” posters and lit candles at the school gate while offering prayers. Amar Ujala reported that those present observed two minutes of silence at the end of the procession as a tribute to the student.

Rudra’s uncle, Aditya Chaudhary, sought action against the school management. In Hindustan’s report, he also called for institutions that compromise children’s safety to be closed. The report said the family planned to meet the district magistrate and police commissioner on Monday and submit a written complaint. That stated plan does not establish that the complaint has already been submitted or that any official action has followed.

Photographs supplied by the reporter show people holding placards outside the school and participants walking together along a road. One placard reads, “We hold the flames for a life that deserved to live.” The material available for this report does not include a response from the school management.

References: Amar Ujala, Hindustan, Jagran