Teachers booked for thrashing sixth standard student in Bangalore

Seven teachers of an English medium in school in Bangalore have landed in a soup after thrashing a sixth standard student for her failure to complete the homework assigned to her.

The victim, Sangeetha, an eleven-year-old student of Vinoda English School, was hit by not only her class teacher, but was also taken to the headmistress, where all the seven teachers physically tortured her.

“I had not completed the mathematics home work as I did not know how to do it. But, my teacher became angry over it and hit me. I was later taken to the headmistress, who also hit me. Soon, the other teachers also came and hit me one by one. After hitting me on the leg, they pushed my head to the wall and the bench. They also pulled by ear and hairs”, said Sangeetha, who bore injuries on her head, hands, legs and back.

Acting on a complaint from the girl’s father K C Kuttappa, an ex-serviceman, the Bangalore police have registered a case against the seven teachers of the school, including the headmistress Veena, on charges of assault, molestation and use of abusive language.

The battering of Sangeetha comes barely a week after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had directed the states to initiate steps against corporal punishment. The Commission had directed the states to treat all corporal punishments as breach of human rights.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner N Achuta Rao told reporters that the police have registered a case and the teachers accused of beating the student will be interrogated. The teachers could not be interrogated as the schools will be closed till Monday. “Some teachers are staying in rural areas. We could not get them due to the festival. We will interrogate them on Monday after schools reopen”, he said.

But, Karnataka State Women’s Commission, which has also taken up the case, said the action taken by the police so far is not enough. “The Education Department must suspend the license of the school and ensure that the school does not function anymore”, Chairperson of the Commission Pramila Nesargi said.

Meanwhile, Sangeetha was treated at the K C General Hospital in Bangalore for the injuries she had sufferred. Though the x-rays revealed no fracture, doctors had said she had sufferred muscle tear. “Doctors have prescribed medication and advised her to use a sling to provide aid to the injured right hand”, her father Kuttappa said.

Now, neither is the Sangeetha ready to go back to the school nor are her parents willing to send her.