Students' suicide: 2 more teachers held for beating students

Palghar(Mah), Aug 31: Two more teachers of a private school here were arrested for allegedly beating students, in the aftermath of three children allegedly committing suicide after they were subjected to corporal punishment, police said on Sunday.

The two teachers, Ashish Khanvilkar (27) (looking after general administration) and science teacher Arun Sharma (30), of Vagad Gurukul International School at Sakwar in Virar area of Palghar, were arrested on Friday night, Virar Police Station's senior inspector Sunil Mane said today. The two were arrested based on the complaints by other students who alleged that they were also beaten up by them with hands and stick, he said.

The duo were booked under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, he said, adding that they were released on bail yesterday. There were complaints from many students of being beaten up by various teachers in the school which were being verified by police, Mane said.

Earlier, Sanskrit teacher Ripusudan Shivkumar Gardh (32) and PT teacher Sandeep Janya Palva (26), of the school had been arrested on Thursday last and booked for abetment of suicide of the three 14-year-old students.

The duo, in police custody till September 2, were charged under sections 305 (abetment of suicide of child), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) rw 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000.

The bodies of the three children, Khushal Dagha, Meet Chhadwa and Prahul Patel, all students of Class IX, were found in Sukh River behind the school on August 27, he said.

The three were among the other students in the school who were allegedly caned by the teachers for their poor performance, as alleged by their parents, Mane said.

The three students, disturbed by the caning, apparently decided to escape from the premises of the boarding school by jumping over the walls on Monday last, he said.

The school management had earlier registered a missing person complaint and a frantic search was launched for the trio. On Thursday, the decomposed bodies of the three children were found floating in the river, police said.

PTI