Corporal punishment: School initiates probe against teacher
By IANSWednesday, June 2, 2010
MOHALI - After sacking a teacher for allegedly thrashing a Class 8 boy during a school trip, following which the mother of the student died of shock, the Yadavindra Public School (YPS) here has initiated a probe against another teacher who faces similar allegations.
“We have started an inquiry into similar allegations made against another teacher Anil Pathania. Corporal punishment is totally intolerable. If we find him guilty, he too will have to leave his job,” Anita Kashayap, vice-principal of the school, told IANS here.
“This is a very sensitive issue and we do not want to rush things. We are looking into all aspects of the matter. We are recording and cross-checking the statements of students who were part of that trip,” she added.
The sacked teacher, Harish Kumar, beat up 13-year-old Rattanpreet Singh Friday during a trip to Manali in Himachal Pradesh, following which the student made a panic call to his home here.
Gurpreet Kaur, the mother of the boy, died of shock the same day after she learnt that her son was thrashed and humiliated for no fault of his, the family said Tuesday.
Fifty-seven students of Yadavindra Public School had gone on a compulsory weeklong trip to Manali May 23.
Kumar and Pathania allegedly collected Rs.500 from Rattanpreet and Rs.200 from another boy as students were not allowed to carry more than Rs.500 each with them.
When Rattanpreet demanded the money back on their return Friday, Kumar beat him up.
Alerted about the beating, his doctor-parents reached the school, where his mother suffered cardiac arrest and died.
“Sir had taken the money from me. When I told other classmates about it, he repeatedly slapped me and hit me with a stick. He said he wanted to teach me a good lesson,” Rattanpreet told IANS.
Some students also accused Pathania of beating Rattanpreet and bullying others. Therefore, the school authorities have initiated a probe against him.
Rattanpreet’s father Barinder Singh said: “These teachers are mentally sick and they do not deserve any kind of leniency. I am planning to initiate legal action them.”
