BICHOLIM
Five students have been suspended for one month following a preliminary inquiry into the pepper spray incident at the Shri Shantadurga Higher Secondary School at Bicholim.
The four boys and one girl have been suspended after they were found involved in using pepper spray in one Std 11 classroom on Thursday, causing 12 girl students to take ill.
Eleven of the students were admitted to the Mapusa District Hospital and while 11 of them were discharged from hospital after treatment, one was later referred to the GMC hospital at Bambolim. Her condition has now improved.
On Friday, a joint meeting was held with Deputy Director of Education Department Manoj Sawaikar in the presence of school management office bearers and the Parent Teacher Association.
Sawaikar and a team from the education department sought detailed information and also inspected the class where the incident took place.
After the meeting, the chairman of the managing committee, Vijay Sardesai, said five students, four boys and one girl, were suspended for one month for misconduct.
“There are CCTV cameras everywhere in the institute building. But we have installed 22 new cameras today and all precautions are being taken to properly investigate the matter. The management will take strict action in this regard,” he said.
Some parents went to the school in the morning and said the school management should take measures to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.
Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanawade also visited the school in the morning and obtained information about the incident from the school management.
Meanwhile, questions are being asked if pepper spray could have led the 12 students to encounter breathing difficulties.
“If pepper spray had been used, it would have caused discomfort to the eyes, but the students did not complain of any such problem. It is unclear what was sprayed or used in the classroom, which caused the students to encounter breathing difficulties,” said a doctor in Bicholim.
There were also claims that a cigarette was found with a girl student.
Investigations are being conducted to ascertain the nature of the substance which caused the 12 students to take ill.
