600 students flee Maharashtra hostel amid ‘possession’ rumours; officials point to stress

A ‘haunted’ hostel scare in Amravati saw nearly 600 students leave after four girls displayed unusual behaviour. Health experts ruled out supernatural causes

PGurus Newsdesk

August 17, 2026

Ghost rumours spread at a tribal residential school in Maharashtra’s Amravati, prompting 600 students to leave. Officials blame fear, superstition and stress

Four girls at a tribal residential school in Amravati reportedly displayed unusual behaviour

Nearly 600 tribal students have left a government-run residential school hostel in Maharashtra’s Amravati district after rumours spread that some girls were “possessed” by spirits.

The incident unfolded at the tribal residential school in Doma village of Chikhaldara taluka, in the Melghat region. The school, run by the Tribal Development Department, houses around 810 boys and girls.

The scare began on July 22, when four girls reportedly started crying and laughing uncontrollably and behaving unusually. As word spread among the students, claims of supernatural activity quickly gained traction. Some girls reportedly said they had heard the sound of anklets at night, further fuelling fears.

Over the following days, around 600 students left the hostel and returned home, believing the premises to be haunted.

Officials rule out supernatural cause

Health experts who visited the school have rejected the idea that the incidents were caused by spirits.

A senior Tribal Development Department official said the symptoms could instead be linked to mental stress and a hysteria-like condition. A psychological report prepared by authorities also attributed the situation to a combination of fear, superstition, stress and local beliefs.

Several explanations began circulating among students and locals. One belief centred on a mahua tree that reportedly stood at the school site and was believed to be inhabited by spirits. Another theory linked the episode to a nearby temple and a drainage channel, while a third involved the death of an Adivasi youth near the school. None of these supernatural explanations has been established by authorities.

Counselling efforts underway

The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, which campaigns against superstition, also visited the school and counselled students, urging them to view the situation scientifically rather than through the lens of supernatural beliefs.

Amravati MP Balwant Wankhade appealed to the students to overcome their fears and return to classes.

School headmaster Sanjay Chaudhary said efforts were underway to counsel the affected girls and bring students back. Some students have already returned, he said.

The episode has meanwhile highlighted how fear and rumours can rapidly spread through residential institutions, particularly when unusual behaviour is interpreted through existing local beliefs.

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