In an inhuman act, students from Classes VII to IX at Morarji Desai Residential School at Yeluvahalli in Kolar district, Bengaluru were made to clean a septic tank on December 1. The incident came to light late on Saturday night, December 16, after a photograph went viral.
After the state Residential School Director Naveen Kumar and Joint Director of Social Welfare Department Srinivas visited the school, the school principal Bharathamma, teacher Muniyappa, hostel warden Manjunath and guest teacher Abhishek were suspended. While Bharathamma and Muniyappa were arrested, the others are yet to be traced.
Giving details about the course of action, Kolar Superintendent of Police M Narayan said that following a complaint filed by Srinivas, a case was registered against the four. “I visited the school and spoke to the students. Deputy Superintendent of Police Mallesh has been deputed to conduct a detailed inquiry,” he added, as reported by The New Indian Express.
As news spread, parents rushed to the school and expressed their displeasure against the authorities. They said there is a lot of difference among teachers, and they would like to shift their wards to other schools. Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa said strict action will be taken against the officials concerned, besides registering a criminal case. Senior officials have been sent to the school to investigate and report, he added.
Reacting to the inhuman act, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked for a detailed report and assured that action will be taken based on the report. Additionally, Home Minister G Parameshwara said a detailed investigation will be conducted. Moreover, it was just a few days ago that the social science teacher from the same school, Abhishek, had punished students for not preparing well for exams, and those photos too had gone viral.