Erring teacher told to do peon's duty

DAHOD/GUJARAT: In an unusual punitive action, a court here instructed a school teacher arrested on prohibition charges to do a peon's duty for a week, seven years after the incident occurred.

Pankaj Parmar, a science and maths teacher at the Bhimbhori village school, was instructed by district judge R M Parmar to do community service in the school like "clean it and serve water to students and teachers" for a week.

The orders were passed on January 4 and ended a seven year wait for Parmar, who was caught in an inebriated condition in the school premises in 2000 and a complaint was lodged against him by the principal.

Parmar (38), who has been a teacher at the school for 12 years, was first sentenced after his arrest for 15 days imprisonment and fined Rs 250.

He, however, appealed against this order and had been waiting for the case to be taken up since seven years.

"Parmar had to sweep and mop the school premises and serve water to the students and teachers. He had to perform all the duties of a peon," said government pleader P J Jain.

When asked to comment on the punitive action imposed on him, the teacher said, "I am guilty and feel bad about what happened. But I am not a habitual drinker. I abided by the court's orders and did what I was told to do".