Girl given corporal punishment fractures leg, teacher booked

‘MURGA’ POSE Teacher allegedly made 2 students sit on 8-year-old

ROHTAK: Police booked a government primary school teacher on Saturday after a Class-4 student allegedly fractured her leg while being corporally punished at Pauli village in Jind.

The accused, Sanjay Kumar, who holds junior basic training (JBT) credentials, had allegedly punished the girl for yawning in class on Friday.

The girl’s mother, Manisha, said her daughter was asked to assume a position resembling that of a rooster, by squatting and then looping the arms behind the knees and firmly holding the ears, popularly known as ‘murga’ punishment. The accused teacher then allegedly asked two students to sit on the back of the 8-year-old girl, police said.

“When my daughter fractured her leg, the teacher did not inform us but sent the peon to drop her home. The peon advised us to take her to the doctor immediately,” Manisha said.

“Doctors at the community health centre in Julana referred her to the Rohtak’s Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), where the doctors were able to set her leg in a plaster,” she said, adding that her daughter had been so traumatised by the incident that she was refusing to go to school.

Sanjay, however, said the allegations against him were fictitious.

“The girl was playing with other students 10 minutes before school was to be let out. I noticed that the student in question was facing some problems in her leg and so I told the peon to drop her home,” he said.

Julana station house officer Surender Kumar said the teacher had been booked under Section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code(IPC). “The accused has not been arrested yet,” said the SHO.

Block education officer Shiv Narayan Sharma said the school authorities and accused teacher have been asked to submit a clarification.“Strict action will be taken against the teacher, should he be found guilty,” Sharma added.

The girl was playing with other students 10 minutes before school was to be let out. I noticed that the student in question was facing some problem in her leg and so I told the peon to drop her home SANJAY KUMAR, accused teacher