School headmistress booked for slapping student
The headmistress of a school in Maharashtra’s Thane has been booked for allegedly slapping an 11-year-old student for yawning during the morning assembly prayer. The district rural police have registered offences on complaint of the student’s father.
The class 6 student apparently yawned during the morning prayer in a private school located in Mira Road area in the city, on June 22. The headmistress objected and allegedly slapped the boy, confirmed Nayanagar's senior police inspector Balaji Pandhare, quoting a complaint lodged by the student's father.
The boy's father also mentioned in his complaint that when he went to the school to enquire about the incident, the headmistress replied that if children indulge in mischief "we would punish them", Pandhare said.
In his complaint, the boy’s father further alleged that the headmistress had also scolded his son on June 19, for not carrying some school books and had warned that she would beat him.
Following the incident, the boy refused to go to the school out of fear. The victim’s father persuaded him to attend his classes and had also complained about the headmistress to the school management. An investigation into the matter was on, the police official said.
Based on the complaint, the police have registered offences against the school headmistress under Indian Penal Code section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, he said. No arrest has been made so far, an official said.
