Two teachers were arrested and released on bail after they charged with subjecting a sixth standard student to corporal punishment. The police tried to convince the girl’s father to withdraw the complaint and resolve issues with the management and teachers of Little Angels School in Kammanahalli, but they failed. The police will now file the chargesheet against the two teachers, who have to fight the case in the court.
The girl student’s father, Rajashekar, a resident of HRBR First Block, has complained to the police that his 12-year-old daughter studying in the sixth standard was subjected to mental and physical torture and inhuman treatment by the principal, teachers and staff of the school for the last few days. Mr Rajashekar alleged that the teachers beat, abused and assaulted his daughter before other students. She was also pinched in her ears, cheeks, thighs, legs and hands. She was made to stand near the toilets alone, away from other students, for hours, as a form of punishment. The scared girl refuses to go to school now, he said.
Mr Rajashekar said that though he tried to contact the principal and other teachers to request them to stop the inhuman treatment, he was not entertained. The scared girl now mutters and makes strange, jerky gestures while in sleep, he has complained. She has also complained of intense pain, which is because of the trauma she has gone through, he said. “If the treatment continued, she could turn mentally sick.”
She has been examined by doctors at Borwing Hospital and the report has been presented to the police. Mr Rajashekar’s son, who goes to the same school, too has told his parents that he has seen his sister being subjected to punishment. Mr Rajashekar has sent his petition to the police commissioner too, the investigating officer said.
A faculty member from the school, requesting anonymity, said that the allegations made against the management and faculty are false and baseless. “The police visited the school and spoke to other students in her class, but nobody corroborated the complaints made by the girl’s father. It is bad for the teachers, as two of them were arrested. The police have been requested not to make the names of teachers public, as it would affect their careers. If a teacher punishes a student, it is for the good of the student and the teacher will not gain anything out of it,” the faculty member said.
A police officer who tried to work out the compromise between the girl’s parents and the school management said the incident should not have happened. “It is still not clear who is at fault. But the student’s father has submitted medical records to substantiate his accusations. Even an assistant commissioner of police-rank officer tried to counsel them, but it failed. The two teachers are being chargesheeted by the Banaswadi police and they have to fight the matter in court,” the officer added.