RANCHI: In a shocking incident, students of Jarmundi Girls Middle School in Dumka were allegedly made to do 100 sit-ups and were deprived of the mid-day meal for not bringing Rs 100 as donation for Saraswati Puja.
Some parents and students have lodged a formal complaint with the Deputy Commissioner, seeking action against the school principal. In their application, they alleged that the headmaster of Jarmundi Girls Middle School demanded a donation of Rs 100 from each student for Saraswati Puja. They claimed that students who did not bring the money were harassed after the puja and were even stopped from attending school.
According to the students, the headmaster instructed them to bring donations from home. Those who were unable to bring the money were allegedly punished. Neetu Kumari, a Class VII student, said that she was asked to bring Rs 100 as donation for Saraswati Puja. “When I refused to pay, the headmaster made me to do 100 sit-ups after the puja and denied mid-day meal."
She further said that she felt unwell after doing 100 sit-ups on an empty stomach and requested permission to go home, but was not allowed to leave and was made to sit in school till it got over.
“When I asked his permission to go home, the headmaster said that he will make me “Shurpnakha,” said Neetu Kumari. After returning home in the evening, she narrated the incident to her mother Rita Devi. She was shocked to see her daughter suffering from severe pain in her legs and stomach ache after doing the sit-ups at school.
Other students, including Julie Kumari, Shivangi Kumari, Roshan Kumar, Aman Kumar, Annu Kumari, Raju Kumar and Sohan Kumar, also alleged that the headmaster had asked them to bring donations from home. They claimed that when they failed to bring the money, the headmaster, Dhananjay Sir, forbade them from coming to school.
“With an intention of collecting funds, they were also asked to bring one lock of Link Company citing that the lock of the classroom was missing,” said the students.
Dumka Deputy Commissioner Abhijeet Sinha said that he has not received any written complaint so far. However, after being informed about the matter, he directed officials to look into the allegations and submit a report. “So far, no concrete evidence has been found in this regard. But the investigation is still on and strict action will be taken against the school administration if the incident is found to be true,” said the Deputy Commissioner.