Brother Kiran, a member of the staff at the hostel for students of St. Joseph Indian High School on Vittal Mallya Road, was arrested on Monday in connection with the tonsuring of students allegedly as punishment for not attending classes.
He has been booked under Section 23 of Juvenile Justice Act for tonsuring two brothers allegedly as punishment for not attending classes. DCP (Central) Sandeep Patil said, “I will investigate the role of the school management in this incident.”
Meanwhile, a preliminary report submitted by the jurisdictional Block Education Officer to the Department of Public Instruction says that teachers and school management were “negligent” in dealing with the situation.
The report by Ramesh, BEO North 3, said, “Both school management and teachers were irresponsible in dealing with the situation, and the headmaster and the assistant teacher came to know of the incident only on Monday.”
It also held them guilty of dereliction of duty.
The report also stated that all students, except one, claimed that they were tonsured as they had dandruff.
However, a parent Sebastian Augustine had told The Hindu that it was done without his consent, and that he believed it was done because his son missed classes.
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar said that the department had issued a notice and would initiate action based on the school’s response.
“Corporal punishment is a violation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act and we can penalise those who have committed the crime,” he said.
Commissioner for Public Instruction Mohammad Mohsin said that the school would also be held accountable if the crime was proved.
Mr. Ramesh has asked the school to submit a report asking why the department should not cancel the No Objection Certificate issued to them.
On Monday afternoon when this reporter visited the school, none of the Kannada-medium students, who stay on the campus, were allowed to speak to The Hindu . One of the English-medium students of class nine said that classes functioned as usual and there was a huge discussion in the school about the incident.
“The Kannada-medium students told us that hair was tonsured because the boys did not attend classes and were naughty,” he said. He also said that Brother Kiran was not seen in the school.
The school management claimed that the boys’ heads were shaved for reasons of hygiene.
