This Article is From Aug 31, 2014

Two Teachers Arrested Over Alleged Suicide of Three Students in Maharashtra's Palghar

Palghar: Two more teachers of a private school in Maharashtra's Palghar were arrested for allegedly beating their students, after three of them allegedly committed suicide, police said today.

The two teachers, Ashish Khanvilkar (27) and science teacher Arun Sharma (30), of Vagad Gurukul International School at Sakwar in Virar area of Palghar were arrested on Friday night, Virar Police Station's senior inspector Sunil Mane said today.

The two were arrested based on the complaints by other students who alleged that they were also beaten up by them, he said.


The duo were booked under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, he said, adding that they were released on bail yesterday.

Earlier, Sanskrit teacher Ripusudan Shivkumar Gardh (32) and PT teacher Sandeep Janya Palva (26), of the school had been arrested on Thursday last and booked for alleged abetment of suicide of the three 14-year-old students.

The duo, in police custody till September 2, were charged under sections 305 (abetment of suicide of child), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000.

The bodies of the three children -- Khushal Dagha, Meet Chhadwa and Prahul Patel -- all students of Class IX, were found in Sukh River behind the school on August 27, he said.

The three were among the other students in the school who were allegedly caned by the teachers for their poor performance, as alleged by their parents, Mr Mane said.

The three students, allegedly disturbed by the caning, apparently decided to escape from the premises of the boarding school by jumping over the walls on Monday, he said.

The school management had earlier registered a missing person complaint and a search was launched for the trio. On Thursday, the decomposed bodies of the three children were found floating in the river, police said.
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