GUWAHATI: The headmaster of a government primary school in Assam was sent on leave for a month by the authorities after a video, showing him moving about his school premises carrying a machete, went viral on social media.
A senior official in the district administration said the teacher, Dhritimedha Das, might be suspended. The authorities sought a report from the district education department.
Last Saturday, Das went to his Radhamadhav Buniyadi School in southern Assam's Cachar district, allegedly carrying a machete. In the short duration video, he appeared to be walking menacingly holding the weapon as classes were on.
Later, someone tipped off the police and the personnel arrived in no time. They seized the machete but did not take any action against the teacher as no FIR was lodged against him. The police had left the matter to the wisdom of the education department.
Deputy Inspector of Schools, Cachar, Parvez Neehal Hazari told The New Indian Express on Monday that he had sent Das on leave for a month to restore order in the school and asked a senior teacher of the school to take charge.
He said some female teachers were livid with Das over matters pertaining to duties. "They would often call me over the phone and lodge a complaint against him. So, I decided to send him on leave for a month," the Deputy Inspector of Schools said.
According to local media reports, Das sought to "caution" those teachers who were not doing their duties properly.
Hazari said he had watched the video but did not find the teacher along with the machete when he visited the school on learning about the incident.