Mamta (in black shawl), the mother of the girl outside Hindu Rao Hospital.
| Photo Credit: Today News 24
A primary school teacher has been arrested for attacking a Class V student with a pair of scissors and then pushing her off the first floor of the government school building, the police said on Friday.
A huge crowd gathered outside the school following the incident that took place at the Nigam Prathmik Balika Vidyalaya in Karol BaghтАЩs Model Basti area, the police said.
тАЬThe teacher, Geeta Deshwal, 26, bolted the classroom door from inside and started throwing water bottles before grabbing hold of a girl. She then hit the girl with a pair of scissors and then pushed her off the balcony,тАЭ a senior police officer said.
Another teacher who tried to intervene was also shoved aside by the latter. However, it is not known whether she sustained any injuries. тАЬWe havenтАЩt received any complaint from her so far,тАЭ the officer said, adding that the motive behind the incident was not clear yet. A case of attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered based on the statement of eyewitnesses.
DCP (Central) Shweta Chauhan said the police were informed about the incident by a bystander around 11.15 a.m. on Friday. The injured girl, Vandana, 10, was rushed to the Hindu Rao Hospital for treatment and is said to be out of danger. In a statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said all tests and scan reports of the girl are тАЬnormal, and the child is safe, stable and responding wellтАЭ.
тАЬThe child has been referred to the Safdarjung Hospital for further management. The MCD will bear all expenses of the treatment,тАЭ it said.
A student of the school told Today News 24 that the teacher had threatened to hit her as well.
тАШPunish herтАЩ
According to VandanaтАЩs father, Laxman, the accused would often threaten to beat the students. тАЬWhen I received a call from the school today, I couldnтАЩt believe she actually flung my daughter from the balcony,тАЭ Mr. Laxman told Today News 24.
Mr. Laxman and his wife Mamta, natives of Darbhanga in Bihar, have been living in Delhi with their three children тАУ aged 13, 10 and 5 тАУ for some years now. While Laxman works as a cook, his wife earns a living as a domestic help. тАЬWe work really hard and send our children to school to get a good education, not to get beaten by their teacher,тАЭ said the mother.
Saying that his daughter has sustained injuries on her face and legs, Mr. Laxman demanded severe punishment against the teacher. He alleged that another family had complained about the same teacher for harassing their child. тАЬWe came to know they took their child out of the school and got her into a different school,тАЭ he said.
Her uncle Sanjay said: тАЬVandana is quite well-mannered and doesnтАЩt talk much. We donтАЩt know what triggered the teacher to threaten all the children. We demand the strictest possible action against the teacher,тАЭ he said.
Complaining about the poor condition of the school, a resident of the area, Sandu, said the headmaster and senior officials barely visit the school, sometimes тАЬjust once a monthтАЭ. тАЬChildren have complained about the teacher [Deshwal] in the past as well. Why was no action taken against her by the authorities?тАЭ
An MCD official, however, denied receiving any complaints against the teacher. тАЬShe was hardworking and there were no complaints against her. However, last week she had punished a child for not doing her homework following which the parents had complained about the teacher,тАЭ the official said, adding that Deshwal was appointed to the school in 2019 and taught various subjects.
While the teacher has been suspended with immediate effect, further investigation into the incident is being conducted by the department, a senior MCD official said.
