Agency(Itanagar):
The principal of a Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust-operated school in Arunachal Pradesh’s Pakke Kessang district has been arrested following allegations of physically abusing students. The incidents came to light after parents of a class 1 student noticed bruises on their child, leading to a police complaint.
Pakke Kessang’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Tasi Darang reported that the principal, a woman, was arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district on Saturday. The abuse reportedly involved at least 20 students across classes 1 to 4. These students were mistreated for not properly reciting school prayers and for their lack of proficiency in Sanskrit.
Following the allegations, the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust terminated the principal’s services. A police case was registered under the Indian Penal Code’s sections for wrongful confinement and voluntarily causing hurt, along with section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which addresses cruelty to children.
The SP added that the students were threatened with severe consequences if they reported the abuses to their parents. It was also revealed that the school had been operating without registration since 2019, according to the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR).
