An FIR has been lodged against 11 students of Paharia Residential School at Gopikandar in Dumka, Jharkhand for tying their teacher and two other staff members to a tree and thrashing them badly, allegedly, for not including practical marks in their final result, due to which, they failed in their Class IX Board examinations, introduced for the first time from this year, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Not just this, the students also made a video of the entire incident and made it viral on social media as a warning for others. The video, which went viral on social media, shows how the three teachers were tied to a tree outside the school, while a handful of students kept yelling loudly that let this video be made viral so that others would know what is happening. The school staff members, however, were released after some time, following which, they got themselves treated.
Though the incident took place on Monday, August 29, the FIR was lodged on Tuesday, August 30, by the aggrieved teacher Kumar Suman and clerk Sonaram Chowre.
"Named FIR has been lodged against 11 students of the school for tying their teachers to a tree and thrashing them badly for not including practical marks in their results which led them to fail in the examination. Besides students, Principal Ramdev Prasad Keshari has also been named in the FIR due to the allegation that the entire incident took place on his behest," said officer in charge of Gopikandar Police Station, Nityanand Bhokta.
The FIR was lodged based on the statement given by assistant teacher Kumar Suman and a clerk Sonaram Chowre, he said. The officer in charge said that FIR has been lodged under Sections 341, 323, 342, 109, 504/34 of IPC. An investigation has been initiated in this regard and action will be taken accordingly, he added. It is, however, still to be ascertained if those children genuinely qualified to pass the exam or if the teachers purposefully gave them low grades.
According to students, a total of 36 students had appeared for Class IX Board examinations, for which, the results were declared last Saturday. Out of the total 36 students, 11 of them failed the examination, following which, they met the school Principal Ramdeo Prasad Keshari, who washed his hands off by saying that the result was prepared by his predecessor Kumar Suman and he has no idea about it.
Students then approached Suman Kumar asking him to show their practical marks, which he refused to do. Then they approached clerk Sonaram Chowde asking him to show their papers, for which they were refused again. With this, the students lost their temper and dragged Suman Kumar and Sonaram Chowde outside the school, tied them to a tree and thrashed them badly.
The Block Education Officer said that after receiving information on the incident, they held talks with all teachers and students. "Students alleged that they were given very less marks in practicals and they didn't receive an adequate response from their teachers," said Block Education Extension Officer Surendra Hembrom.
The teacher, on the other hand, said that the students called them to the school on the pretext of holding a meeting saying that their results were spoiled. "When I reached the school, they said that they will hold a meeting, and then I went out of the class. I was standing outside; in between they started putting chairs outside the class and asked me to join them. Some of them came with ropes and sticks and dragged me to the tree and tied me with to it, holding me responsible for their failure," said assistant teacher Kumar Suman.
According to them, practical marks were not included in their results, due to which, they failed, he added. "I told them that it has to be done by the headmaster, not me and that I have already handed over the charge to the headmaster on August 5, but they were not ready to hear me," said the assistant teacher.
