Expelled students riot outside home

MALACCA: Several expelled students of a non-profitable welfare home in Tengkera are believed to have gone on a rampage at the home, damaging the premises and a vehicle parked inside.

They pelted the Sri Ramakrishna Welfare Home with stones and other objects and crashed a vehicle into the gate yesterday morning as 20 orphans and several staff members were sleeping inside.

The home was established in 1964 to provide free education and shelter to needy children.

The home’s president G. Baala Murale said his management suspected that five ex-students aged between 15 and 16 were behind the attack at about 3am.

“We expelled these students early this year due to various delinquencies like homosexual activities and alcoholism.

“These former students were given numerous warnings and we even tried to rehabilitate them but they still continued with their ways and we had to expel them,” he said yesterday.

“The damage at the home was extensive and we estimate the losses at about RM12,000.”

Baala said the management lodged a police report at Tengkera police station the same day.

He added that the management had implemented rigid disciplinary procedures from November last year.

“Before that, the home lacked strict wardens and the students were not tied to a tight study schedule and high discipline.”

State deputy CID chief Supt P.R. Gunarajan said investigations were currently ongoing to identify those involved.