VIZIANAGARAM: A day after a girl student of the Tribal Welfare Ashram School in P Amiti village of Gummalakshmipuram mandal in Vizianagaram agency landed in a hospital following alleged corporal punishment, the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) officials tried to hush up the case.
ITDA officials of Parvathipuram conducted an enquiry and closed the case, terming it a misreported incident. Following instructions from higher-ups, a team of ITDA officials along with the Tribal welfare officials inspected the school Monday. They reported that the students have punished themselves regretting their late return after Sankranti holidays. It may be recalled that a Telugu language teacher had allegedly made a group of 50 tribal girl students of Tribal Welfare Ashram School in P Amiti village walk on their knees around the school playground Saturday for returning late after school re-opened.
Many students suffered bleeding on their knees in the inhumance punishment, and one student, A Ashwini, got admitted to the hospital. Incidentally no police case has been registered so far. Elwinpeta SI G Venugopal said that they have not received any complaint.
Speaking to Express, deputy director (Tribal welfare) M Rayudu said that he along with ITDA Parvathipuram Project officer Balaji Latkar and other officials had visited the school and spoke to the teachers and students. “The students said that they have punished themselves as they returned late from the Sankranti vacation. There was no intervention from the school teachers”, said Rayudu. “It is to be noted that the students have final examinations next month and the officers decided not to disturb them further,” he added.
Rayudu also claimed that one student was admitted to the hospital because she was down with Malaria. He said that he spoke to the doctors and was convinced that Ashwini was suffering with Malaria. However sources said that the students were persuaded to play down the incident.