Kolkata:
The death of a schoolgirl who had allegedly been locked in a bathroom by her seniors has taken a political turn three days after the school's principal was arrested for negligence. The principal, Helen Sircar, was today released on bail. The Trinamool Congress of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the CPI-M of staging the vandalism at the Christ Church School by protesters on Thursday.
Here are 10 big developments:
14 people, including four parents, have been arrested for vandalising the school to protest against 11-year-old Oindrila Das' death.
Several parents today met the state education minister Bratya Bose to call for action against bullying in school.
All Kolkata schools under the Church of North India will remain closed this Thursday as a tribute to Oindrila, who died on September 11, a week after she was allegedly locked up inside the school bathroom by seniors who had demand Rs 100 from her. She was let out only after school was over.
Oindrila's parents say she was traumatised since that incident. Her mother also blamed medical negligence by a doctor who had given her an injection the day before she died.
A day after her death, the 131-year-old school witnessed unprecedented scenes as protesters, including many parents, barged in during classes, broke windows, smashed computers and ransacked offices while the principal hid under a table and teachers locked themselves in the staffroom.
The protesters virtually laid siege to the school for 10 hours and refused to let the staff and faculty leave until the principal, Helen Sircar, was forced to resign.
The principal was later arrested based on a police complaint by Oindrila's parents, who accused her of failing to act against those who bullied their daughter.
Many protesting parents blamed the principal for innumerable irregularities at the school, including failure to act against habitual bullies.
Ruling Trinamool leader Mukul Roy said,"The death of the girl is unfortunate, but the CPI-M is behind the ransacking and they have done it as part of their conspiracy to malign the state government."
The CPI-M hit back with a counter-attack, saying that this was part of a series of attacks on educational institutions under the two-year-old Mamata Banerjee government.
Post a comment