Students held hostage by protesting teachers

LAKHIMPUR KHERI: Two teachers at a government school in Behjam village of Lakhimpur Kheri district have been booked for confining at least 20 girl students to the school building’s roof on Thursday night in an apparent bid to pressurise authorities to cancel their transfer orders, officials said on Friday.

District basic education officer (BSA) Laxmi Kant Pandey identified the accused as contactual teachers Manorama Mishra and Goldi Katiyar and said the duo had received orders to take up posts at schools in the Palia and Ramiya Behar blocks on Thursday.

He added that the duo then decided to resort to confining the students on the school building roof, to mount pressure for cancellation of the transfer orders.

Pandey along with the district coordinator, girls’ education, Renu Srivastav, and block education officers rushed to the school and took stock of the situation.

“On Thursday, after receiving their transfer orders, the two resorted to harassing the students to put pressure on the department to cancel their transfer orders.”

“Given the gravity of the situation, a first information report (FIR) under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult causing a breach of peace) and 336 (the act of negligence endangering human life or personal safety) had been lodged at Neemgaon police station against the two accused teachers,” he said.

The police complaint filed by Srivastav, states: “Warden Lalit Kumari informed me and the district basic education officer that Manorama Mishra and Goldi Katiyar had confined children. When I reached the spot, I saw that the police were already on the site and some girls were still on the roof.”

Pandey said a four-member committee was formed to investigate the incident and submit a report in three days.