Bihar: Headmistress suspended after men found drinking liquor in classroom during school hours

THE SHO SAID THERE WAS NEITHER ANY EVIDENCE THAT LIQUOR WAS BEING CONSUMED INSIDE THE CLASSROOM NOR ANY RECOVERY

DARBHANGA: Headmistress of government primary school in Bihar’s Darbhanga district has been suspended after two men were allegedly found consuming liquor in one of the classrooms during school hours on Wednesday, a district education department official said.

District education officer (DEO) Samar Bahadur Singh said headmistress of the school at Makranda village, Sajda Khatoon, has been suspended and the block education officer (BEO) asked to furnish an application for lodging an FIR (first information report) at Manigachchi police station in this regard.

However, Ranjit Kumar Choudhary, station house officer of Manigachhi police station, said there was neither any evidence that liquor was being consumed by people inside the classroom nor any recovery.

He, though, confirmed he had received an application for lodging an FIR. “We will take note of complaint though,” he said.

Senior deputy collector Pushpita Jha, who had inspected the school on Wednesday and allegedly found two men consuming liquor at a classroom on the first floor, said all the students from class 1 to class 5 were being taught in cramped conditions only in two rooms situated downstairs while one of the classrooms upstairs was locked from outside.

“I asked the headmistress as to why she was not using rooms available upstairs for teaching purposes. She tried to make frivolous excuses. When I insisted, she gave the keys. When the lock was opened, I was shocked to see men consuming liquor there,” Jha said.

She said the two men were able to flee even as they informed the police.

“One of them took away the liquor bottle,” Jha said, adding that it is for the police and authorities concerned to gather evidence.

The block education officer (BEO), Dev Nath Singh, in his police complaint which has been seen by HT, has sought an FIR against headmistress Sajda Khatoon and other unidentified persons, sharing details of the inspection.

The suspended headmistress was not immediately available for comment.

Production, sale and consumption of liquor is banned in Bihar since April 2016.