Computer teacher, accountant held as student complains

Computer teacher, accountant held as student complains
A classmate of the three Std IX victims accuses the duo of beatings; teacher says he has been framed, denies interacting with the boy; cops to summon school trustees for questioning.

Two more staffers of the Vagad Gurukul International School, at Sakwar in Virar, were arrested late Thursday following a complaint by a classmate of the three Std IX students, whose bodies were recovered from a river behind the school on Wednesday.

In addition to the two earlier arrested accused teachers, the boy, Jatin Mandnani, named computer teacher Arun Sureshchandra Sharma and accountant Ashish Khanwilkar in his complaint on Wednesday. He accused them of beatings and said his hands were swollen due to caning.

Subsequently, Sharma and Khanwilkar were arrested on Thursday night and released on bail on Friday. Khanwilkar, however, said he was framed by Jatin. “In two years with the school I have not interacted with the said student, so where is the question of me ever hitting him?” Khanwilkar said. “I have not even visited the classroom where the student studies,” added Khanwilkar, who lives in Thane and commutes daily to the school.

The other accused, Arun Sharma, was not available for comment as he was undergoing treatment for high blood pressure following his release on bail. “We arrested the duo under Sections 323 and 324 (causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC on Thursday night. They were produced in the Vasai court on Friday and were granted bail,” said API Kishore Shinde of the Mandvi Police Station, which comes under the Virar police.

“So far, two FIRs have been registered, one by Suresh Chaddwa, father of Meet who was one of the three victims, and the other by Jatin. The first two accused, Sanskrit teacher Ripusudan Garg, 35, and PT teacher Sandeep Palva, 26, are in police custody till September 1,” Shinde added.

The police, however, are yet to ascertain as to how the three students met a watery end. “We do not know the exact cause,” said a senior Virar officer, “but we are investigating. On Monday we will question the trustees of the school in this regard.”

Meanwhile, the school will reopen only on Tuesday as all the 102 boarders were sent home for the Ganesh festival, and to allow the matter to die down.