Lathicharge on high school campus

TT; Jalpaiguri, Sept. 3: Police burst tear gas shells and batoncharged students and local people on the campus of Gamiruddin High School today after the headmaster was beaten up for allegedly canning a Class XII boy. 

 One student and four policemen were injured in the incident that happened at Gamirpara, 15km from here, at 2pm. Sources said on Saturday, Madhyamik examinee Rajesh Mohammad went to the headmaster to get his registration certificate attested.

 Pranbandhu Sarkar allegedly refused to attest it. Today around 11am, Rajesh’s elder brother Babu Mohammad, a Class XII student in the same school, went to Sarkar to get the certificate attested and the headmaster allegedly asked him to leave. 

 This led to an argument during which Sarkar allegedly struck Babu with a cane. Babu returned to his class and later went to Sarkar’s chambers with his friends. The students allegedly beat up Sarkar and ransacked his office.

 The police were informed and a force from Kotwali reached the campus. The students confined Sarkar to his office and the local people also joined the protest. When the police lathicharged to disperse the protesters, the mob threw stones at the force.

 The police then burst tear gas shells. Class IX student Biswajit Roy and four policemen were injured. They were admitted to the district hospital. “The boy came for Madhyamik registration that had been completed three days ago.

 I tried to reason with him but he started abusing and I used the cane. I was beaten up and my office was ransacked,” said Sarkar, who was confined till 6pm. Deputy police superintendent, headquarters, Prabhat Chakrabarty, said: “We are keeping a watch and regular patrolling is on.”