Boy bashing: 3rd teacher named

Even six days after a first information report (FIR) was filed in the alleged case of corporal punishment at a school in Dadar, the police do not seem to have made any headway.

The FIR was lodged with the Shivaji Park police last Thursday after three Std I students of Antonio Da Silva High School were allegedly handcuffed, paraded around the school and then made to clean the toilets by their class teacher Cinderella Pereira, 23, for not maintaining decorum. When the parents of one student approached Carol Pereira, 50, the headmistress of the primary section, she refuted their claim.

The class teacher and headmistress were arrested on Monday, but released on bail within few hours by the Bhoiwada court.

Despite inquiring with school authorities and students, the police failed to come to a conclusion. Instead, the case became even more complicated on Tuesday, with the parents naming a third teacher in the case. “We have requested the police to add Ms Sterling’s name in the FIR as she had also thrashed the child,” said Pushpa Gandhi, the mother of the 5-year-old student who had first approached the police.

The Shivaji Park police are now investigating her involvement as well.

Moreover, the third teacher in question has reportedly contracted jaundice and has been on leave for the last three days.

Assistant police inspector of the Shivaji Park police, Sunil Pawar, who is the investigating officer in the case, said, “She did not come to school the last few days. However, it is unlikely that she would have beaten the boy as she teaches Std IC while child is in Std ID.
We will initiate a probe against her once she is back.”

Pawar added that they were yet to complete the enquiry, but that investigations till now suggest that the incident was not a major one. “None of the children in the class verified the details made in the complaint. Besides, the school’s toilets are very clean and there are sweepers who clean them thrice a day,” he said.

When contacted, school trustee Leela D’Souza said she was in a meeting.

The civic body, which controls primary education, has also initiated an internal probe, but education officer of the corporation, RR Bhise refused to comment.

As the school had suspended the class teacher on Monday, a couple of parents have come forward to fill in the vacancy.

@DNA