TEACHER SUSPENDED FOR PUNISHING GIRL

Rao’s High School at Ramachandrapuram, where a girl was made to stand in a boys’ toilet on Saturday as a form of punishment, was twice closed by the education department for shifting its premises without authorisation.

The teacher involved in the incident, N. Priyanka, has been suspended and a police case booked against her. Ms Priyanka had made the student stand in the boys’ toilet because she was not in uniform. Sangareddy district education officer Vijaya Kumari said an FIR has been booked against the teacher under the Child Rights Protection Act and Sections 82, 334 and 43 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

“We had closed this school for unauthorised shifting from Ranga Reddy to Sangareddy district. The school was first closed in March 2016 and again in March this year. The management approached the court and secured stay orders and started operating again,” Ms Kumari said.

She said a showcause notice had also been served on the school. Reacting to the incident, IT minister K.T. Rama Rao on Monday asked deputy chief minister Kadiam Srihari, who is also education minister, to take action.

Mr Srihari ordered an inquiry following which the district education officer inspected the school and served a show-cause notice. Inspector Ch Gangadhar said the crime was registered under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 339 (wrongful restraint) and 503 (criminal intimidation). The teacher denied the allegations. “I just asked the student to stand outside class, which happens to be located next to the boys’ washroom.”