A woman teacher in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has been suspended after she allegedly assaulted over 30 students for not touching her feet following a morning prayer session.
According to officials, assistant teacher Sukanti Kar of Khandadeula government upper primary school reportedly beat students of classes 6, 7 and 8 with a bamboo stick last Thursday. Students usually pay respect by touching teachers’ feet after prayers, but Kar arrived late and, angered that the children had not followed the custom, allegedly thrashed them.
Several students sustained visible injuries. A boy suffered a fracture in his hand, while a girl fell unconscious and had to be hospitalised, the school management committee confirmed after an inquiry.
Headmaster Purnachandra Ojha, Block Education Officer Biplab Kar, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator Debashish Sahu and school management committee members conducted an investigation and found the teacher guilty.
“The accused teacher was placed under suspension on Saturday,” said BEO Biplab Kar, stressing that the matter was treated with “utmost seriousness.”
The Odisha government has strictly prohibited corporal punishment in schools since 2004, but reports of violations continue to surface.
