Seventh-graders stripped, made to stand in cold in Sehore school, ETEducation
Bhopal: In a horrific incident, a visual from a private school at Jatkheda in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district went viral purportedly showing seventh-grade students being stripped and made to stand outside for failing to complete their homework.
Springing to action after the image came to light, the District Education Office in Sehore slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the school, while ordering the immediate dismissal of principal Samreen Khan, guard Amar Singh Verma and driver Shibu Jafri in connection with the incident.
District Education Officer Sanjay Tomar told TOI that the visual, which was circulated widely on social media, was about two months old but condemned the incident calling it ‘unacceptable and cruel’.
It was alleged that the students, who allegedly did not complete their homework, were stripped down to their innerwear and forced to stand half-naked in the biting cold, officials said.
Their parents alleged that their wards were also made to clean the grounds, sweep and water the plants, and threatened , beaten or humiliated if they made mistakes.
The seventh-graders told their parents that earlier this year, before November, they were made to strip off and stand in the cold every day, officials said.
The children alleged that guard Amar Singh Verma would pour oil on them, threaten and beat them up on the instructions of Principal Samreen Khan. They also accused driver Shibu Jafri of making them pick up stones from the ground, beating them and threatening to deduct marks from their projects. The beatings deepened the fear and insecurity among students.
After the image went viral, parents, supported by social organisations, reached the school on Friday. They sat in front of the school gate, reciting Hanuman Chalisa and also raising slogans. A large police force, the Tehsildar and administrative officials from Mandi police station, arrived at the site thereafter.
During the probe, DEO Tomar questioned the children individually and found the allegations to be true. “All the allegations were found to be true during our investigation,” Tomar told TOI, adding that he directed the immediate dismissal of Samreen Khan, Amar Singh Verma and Shibu Jafri, while also imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the school, to be paid within seven days.
“The school’s affiliation will be cancelled if such incidents happen again,” the DEO warned. Police said a complaint had been received and legal action would follow after an investigation.
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