JAGATSINGHPUR: The headmistress of Dagarapara government upper primary school in Jagatsinghpur’s Tirtol was suspended on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a Class-II student.
The accused headmistress, Jharanabala Das, has also been booked by Tirtol police on charges of voluntarily causing grievous injury to the six-year-old boy.
Sources said the incident took place on August 2. Das allegedly thrashed the boy brutally for talking during the class. She also reportedly inserted a stick into the child’s mouth while beating him, causing injuries to his tongue.
The kid was subsequently shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack for treatment. On receiving a complaint from the student’s parents in this connection, block education officer (BEO) of Kujang Manoj Kumar Behera sent a team to the school to conduct an inquiry. Investigation confirmed that the headmistress was guilty of physically assaulting the child.
The BEO said the conduct of the headmistress is a violation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 which strictly prohibits corporal punishment of students in schools. “Das has been placed under suspension for negligence and violating rights of children,” Behera added. Meanwhile on Monday, the boy’s grandfather Prasant Mallick filed an FIR against the headmistress in Tirtol police station and demanded strict action against the teacher.
Tirtol IIC Pradip Sethy said basing on the complaint, police have registered a case under sections 115 (2)/117 (2) of the BNS. Investigation is on and the accused is yet to be arrested.