Principal of Barnes School held after cook kills himself

The Nashik police on Friday arrested the principal of Barnes School and Junior College, in connection with the suicide of an employee of the institution.

Chinnappa Mandri (45), the deceased, a cook, had been on strike along with some other employees of the institution for the past eight months.

Julian Luke (48), the principal, was remanded to police custody till September 26.

This is the first time in the history of Barnes, a co-educational residential school with a sterling reputation, that a principal has been arrested and remanded. Senior PI of Deolali Camp police station V.P. Lokare said on Friday that Luke was arrested under sections 306 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code on Friday. He was produced in court, which remanded him to police custody.

Some employees of the school have been on strike for the past eight months over various demands, including increased wages and job permanency. Sources said Mandri was in dire straits, as he had not received his salary. He hanged himself from a tree in the campus on Wednesday.

After his suicide, enraged relatives and striking employees led by members of the Shiv Sena allegedly roughed up the principal and tore his clothes.

Shiv Sena deputy leader and ex-minister Baban Gholap said the principal is “very weak” in public relations. “Once when I went to discuss the workers’ issue with him, he kept me waiting for one hour and called the police. Only after the police arrived did he come for the meeting. I told him that we had come for discussions, not for a fight,” Mr Gholap said.

Meanwhile, a team of office bearers from the management of Bombay Education Society, of which the school is a part, arrived to enquire about the incident. They took stock of the prevailing situation.

PI Lokare said police personnel had been stationed for bandobast in the school campus.