600+ students flee Maharashtra Ashram school amid ‘ghost’ rumours; doctors point to mass anxiety
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "600+ students flee Maharashtra Ashram school amid ‘ghost’ rumours; doctors point to mass anxiety")
Representative image. Photograph: (Magnific)
The scare reportedly began after some students claimed they heard unusual sounds during the night, including sounds resembling anklets, crying and laughter. The situation escalated when several students began displaying unusual symptoms.
More than 600 students have reportedly fled a government-run tribal residential school in Maharashtra’s Amravati district after rumours of a “ghost” on the campus triggered fear and panic among students. The incident was reported at the Doma Government Tribal Ashramshala in Chikhaldara taluka, in the Melghat region of Amravati. According to reports, 608 students, including 345 girls and 263 boys, left the residential school and returned to their homesamid growing concerns over alleged supernatural activity.
The scare reportedly began after some students claimed they heard unusual sounds during the night, including sounds resembling anklets, crying and laughter. The situation escalated when several students began displaying unusual symptoms.
Reports said some students fainted, trembled, screamed, cried or laughed uncontrollably, while others were reportedly seen behaving aggressively or appearing disoriented. As more students witnessed these incidents, fear spread rapidly across the hostel. Videos showing some of the students' episodes were also circulated on social media, further fuelling claims that the school was haunted.
Medical teams reject ‘ghost’ theory
However, medical teams called in to assess the students reportedly found no evidence of paranormal activity.
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Doctors instead attributed the incidents to mass anxiety and psychosomatic reactions. Such episodes can occur when intense fear or stress spreads through a closely connected group, with individuals experiencing genuine physical and psychological symptoms even when there is no underlying supernatural cause.
The development has challenged the initial narrative of a “haunted” hostel and shifted attention towards the psychological well-being of the students. Reports also indicate that some affected students were taken for medical and psychiatric evaluation, while authorities began efforts to counsel students and reassure their families.
Anti-superstition group intervenes
The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS)has also intervened in the matter, attempting to dispel the rumours and reassure students that there is no evidence that the school is haunted. The latest reports suggest that several students who had left the institution are now willing to returnfollowing counselling and awareness efforts.
The incident has also raised questions about the challenges faced by children living in residential schools in remote tribal areas, particularly when rumours and fear spread rapidly through a campus.
Authorities are now focusing on restoring confidence, counselling students, and preventing misinformation from further escalating the situation. For now, the “haunted school” claim remains unsubstantiated. What initially appeared to be a case of supernatural activity is increasingly being viewed by medical professionals as an episode involving mass anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms.
