Minor ‘detained, tortured by school principal’

Police swing into action after assault video goes viral; make arrests

THEKRI WALA:

A school principal allegedly detained and tortured a student in the city on Tuesday. Reportedly, the suspect detained the minor in a room with the help of security guards because he had complained to the principal that ink was thrown on his sister.

Police arrested the school principal and registered a case after a video of the student being tortured went viral.

The case, filed by Ghulam Dastgir, a resident of Tandlianwala, alleges that his 12-year-old daughter, Hadia, was studying at a local private school. The complainant stated that an unknown person threw ink at his daughter.

The complainant’s son identified as Qasim went to the school principal Qamar’s office to tell him about the incident.

However, the school principal, in a fit of rage, detained Qasim at a room with the help of security guards.

The principal allegedly tortured the minor and ordered the security guards to lock him in the room. The security guard was armed and he kept the minor in the room for several hours during which the principal and the security guard also threatened to kill the student, the complainant stated.

After the video of Qasim being tortured went viral on social media platforms, CPO Sohail Chaudhry took notice of the matter and immediately ordered Tandlianwala City SHO to arrest the suspects.

On this, the SHO along with the police team arrested the school principal and registered a case against him under Section 328/A342-506 PPC and remanded him in custody.

Incidents of corporal punishment were not uncommon in the province.

In March, a student was tortured over a trivial matter in Chichawatni. The teacher grabbed his legs and arms with the help of fellow students. He was then forced to lie face down on the ground and the teacher beat him with a stick.

The student screamed but no one stopped the mistreatment with the child, the video showed.

After the video of student being tortured went viral on social media, Sahiwal District Education Chief Executive Officer Dr Muhammad Arshad suspended the teacher and launched an inquiry.

In February 2019, an eighth grade girl student was thrashed by her teacher over being caught ‘cheating’ during a test at a local tuition centre in Rawalpindi.

The incident took place on the Mughalabad Ghaffar Kiyani Road near the Station Race Course area.

Reportedly, the student, identified as Ansa Javed Satti, was unable at the time to sit for her final exams owing to the beating.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2021.