Maharashtra Haunted Hostel: Why Nearly 600 Students Left Doma School

Nearly 600 students have left a government-run tribal residential school in Maharashtra after rumours spread that some girls were 'possessed' by spirits.

The school is the Doma Government Tribal Ashramshala in Chikhaldara taluka, in Amravati district's Melghat region.

The school has around 810 students. According to officials, nearly 600 have now gone home as fear spread among students and parents.

How did the rumours start?

The episode reportedly began on 22 July, when four girl students started behaving unusually.

They were reported to have cried and laughed uncontrollably. As word spread through the hostel, some students began saying the girls were under the influence of spirits.

There were also reports of students claiming they had heard anklets or ghungroos inside the hostel.

That appears to have fuelled the rumours further.

Is the Maharashtra hostel actually haunted?

There is no evidence to establish that the hostel is haunted or that any student was possessed.

Health officials who assessed the situation have instead pointed towards psychological factors.

A senior Tribal Development Department official said the symptoms had no connection with supernatural activity and could be linked to a hysteria-like condition caused by mental stress.

The explanation has not stopped the rumours, however. Many students and parents remained frightened enough to take the children home.

TL;DR | News At A Glance

• Nearly 600 students have left a tribal residential school in Maharashtra's Amravati district.

• The exodus followed rumours that some girls were 'possessed' by spirits.

• Officials and health experts say there is no evidence of a haunting and have linked the incidents to fear, stress and psychological factors.

Why did so many students leave?

Once the stories about possession began circulating, the fear spread beyond the students who had initially experienced the symptoms.

A psychological assessment conducted by authorities reportedly found that several explanations were circulating locally, including beliefs about a tree being cut down on the school premises and a nearby religious site.

These beliefs appear to have added to the anxiety around the incidents.

Officials have not established any supernatural cause.

What are officials doing now?

Counselling has been carried out for students and their parents.

The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), which works against superstition, also visited the school and nearby villages to speak to families.

The group said counselling had helped reduce some of the fear, with several students and parents reportedly becoming willing to return to the school.

The aim now is to get the students back to classes and prevent the rumours from spreading further.

So, were the girls 'possessed'?

There is no verified evidence of possession or paranormal activity at the school.

What is known is that several students experienced unusual episodes, rumours of spirit possession spread afterwards, and the resulting fear led nearly 600 students to leave the hostel.

Officials are treating the incident as a matter of health, stress and fear, rather than a supernatural event.

Disclaimer: Brut has not independently verified claims of paranormal activity or spirit possession.