Teacher who hit 25 kids with duster held

Mumbai: The Khandeshwar police on Tuesday arrested Anjali Chauhan, a teacher working at St. Joseph’s High School, Panvel for allegedly hitting 25 students with a wooden duster on Saturday. Chauhan allegedly hit them because the class V students had not brought a textbook to school.

The police also arrested the school’s principal, Queena Fernando, who allegedly allowed Chauhan to hit the kids with a duster. The arrested duo was granted bail by a local court on Tuesday.

Several parents of the Panvel-based school managed by the Ryan Group had approached the police and complained against Chauhan on Saturday night.

The police plan to examine the CCTV footage to establish the crime. Police officials at Khandeshwar police station said that Chauhan told them that Fernando had given her permission to punish students who had failed to bring the Environmental Studies book on Saturday.

Angry parents, whose kids were hit by Chauhan gathered around the school campus on Tuesday while another group of parents went to the Khandeshwar police station to keep an eye on the development there. “This is not the first time our children are being targeted,” said a parent.

“This time we are not going to tolerate. We stand united and will get justice from the police,” said Gaurav Kadam, a parent. Despite repeated calls and SMS attempts, Neti Srinivasan, spokesperson of Ryan Group was unavailable for comment.

Yogesh More, senior police inspector of Khandeshwar police station said that they had arrested the teacher and the principal under IPC section 325, 506, 34 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences and taken to court. “We will take their custody soon for further enquiry. They are out on bail now,” he said.