JAGATSINGHPUR: Police on Monday produced before court a woman who allegedly entered a school and assaulted a Class VII student with a stick, in the presence of other students including her son, earlier this month. The accused is 35 years old and was absconding since the alleged assault on September 9.
She was arrested on Sunday, police said. Sources said there was a quarrel between two Class VII students, both 13 years old, after one of them kept his leg on a bench and accidentally hit the other who was sitting in front. The two exchanged heated words in the absence of a teacher. Later, during lunch break, the boy who was struck by his classmate sitting behind confronted him and allegedly assaulted him.
Then he informed his mother about the quarrel. His mother then allegedly entered the school during the Mid-Day Meal period and assaulted the boy her son had fought with. Her assault allegedly caused injuries on the hand and neck of the boy and he had to be taken to a community health centre for treatment.
The incident upset parents of other students and they blamed the school and teachers for failing to stop the woman’s assault on the child.
The mother of the boy who was assaulted with a stick lodged a complaint with the police following which a case was registered against the accused under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita read with a section of the Juvenile Justice Act that prescribes the punishment for cruelty to a child.
“Teachers were having their meals at the time of the incident and could not know of the sudden assault,” said a staff of the school who wanted to remain anonymous.
An education officer said he had conducted an inquiry. “The incident occurred against the backdrop of a past rivalry and a communal issue. The accused woman forcibly entered the school premises without permission and assaulted the student in the absence of teachers,” he said.
