CUTTACK: An assistant teacher of Rangani Sahi Primary School under Banki-Damapada block in the district was suspended on Friday for stripping and assaulting a Class IV girl student as punishment.
The teacher Nibedita Paikaray had punished the girl following allegation of stealing a sketch pen of a classmate on Monday. Nibedita had forced the student to undress herself in front of other students in the classroom, though she denied stealing the sketch pen. After stripping her, Nibedita, who recovered the stolen sketch pen from her undergarment, also assaulted her.
Next day, when the girl did not wish to go to school, her mother coaxed her to tell the reason and she narrated the incident. Her mother filed an FIR at Banki police station on Wednesday. Acting on the FIR, police registered a case and started probing into the incident.
Protesting the incident, locals staged a dharna on Thursday by locking the classrooms. They demanded instant action against the accused teacher. The dharna was withdrawn after Block Education Officer (BEO) Himansu Bhusan Samarath along with police reached the spot and assured of action. Accordingly, the BEO conducted a probe and submitted his report to District Education Officer Niranjan Behera.Behera, who suspended the assistant teacher said prima facie, Nibedita has been found guilty of committing the offence following which she has been placed under suspension.