MAPUSA
Following the direction of the Education Department, the management of a private school in Camurlim-Bardez suspended two teachers on Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a nine-year-old student in Class IV.
The incident occurred at Shree Saraswati Vidyamandir Primary School, where the student sustained severe injuries, including cut marks, bruises, and blood clots, after being beaten with a steel ruler by one of the teachers.
The Colvale Police have registered a case against the two teachers in connection with the brutal assault.
Director of Education Shailesh Zingde confirmed that he instructed the school management to take immediate action against the teachers for their unacceptable behaviour.
"On my direction, the management convened a meeting and suspended the teachers," Zingde stated.
Both the teachers and the school management have been summoned to the Department of Education on September 12 for further questioning.
The Director of Education will make a decision regarding the approval of the suspension after the hearing.
If approved, the suspension will be enforced for six months, with the possibility of an extension.
Meanwhile, the Colvale Police summoned the two teachers, identified as Sujal Gawade of Verem and Kanisha Gadekar of Pirna, to the police station for questioning.
The session lasted nearly an hour.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sandesh Chodankar explained that the teachers were called in for investigation after being issued a notice under Section 41(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
“The teachers cannot be arrested, but they must comply with all guidelines stipulated under Section 41(A) as per Supreme Court directives,” Chodankar said.
The incident reportedly began when one of the teachers struck the student with a steel ruler for allegedly tearing pages from his notebook.
The child was hit on his hands, thighs, legs, and back, and was also slapped in the face and kicked in the stomach.
The violence escalated when the teacher grabbed the boy by his right ear and dragged his face against a writing board, causing bleeding and swelling injuries.
The second teacher involved in the incident is accused of restraining the victim during the assault and later threatening the boy’s cousin, who witnessed the attack.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and further actions will be determined based on the findings.
