Bishop Cotton girls roughed up on campus

Some students of Bishop Cotton Girls’ School were allegedly roughed up and verbally abused on the campus by two men on Thursday morning when they were staging a protest against the management’s decision to replace the in-charge principal Ranjitha Kanagaraj.

Kanagaraj, who has been a teacher at the school for 37 years, was serving as in-charge principal for the past two months. Lavanya Mithran was to take over from her on Thursday. However, students from classes 8, 9, 10 and 11 sat in front of the school gate and protested the change.

“When the new principal arrived, we did not let her enter the school. There were two men inside the car. They got out, pushed us and told us we have no right to sit there and started screaming at us,” said a student.

“They used foul language, spat on some girls and slapped two or three others. One of them held a girl, took her pictures and asked her for her father’s phone number. Another girl was told that she would be thrown in the bin. They threatened some girls, saying they would not get their hall tickets for board exams. They also tried to take away our school badges,” alleged another student.

The Cubbon Park police were called in to control the situation. “There was some problem and policemen were sent to the school. Students were sent back to their classes. We did not see any assault taking place,” said a police officer.

Following the commotion, the physics preparatory examination for class 10, scheduled for the day, was postponed to January 19.

Rev P K Samuel, Administrative Secretary of the school, said, “Some section of the staff incited their colleagues and the students to miss classes this morning and protest against the installation of the new principal by displaying placards and raising slogans. These children were made to line up in front of the gate and demonstrate.”

A written communication from Samuel to Deccan Herald said a selection committee was appointed by the Executive Committee of the Diocese that finalised Lavanya Mithran for the post.

Another official from the school management said none of the children was assaulted, but they were only asked to go back to their classes.