Ludhiana: Bains asks DEO to probe video of ‘youths forcing minor to take drugs’
The DEO has been asked to visit the school on Monday; in the purported video, the youngsters are seen threatening the minor as he resists; police, however, said the matter was settled and it was among friends
rakshit.sharma@hindustantimes.com
Punjab school education minister on Sunday asked the district education officer (DEO) to conduct a probe after a purported video of some youngsters forcing a private school student in Issa Nagri to consume ‘intoxicating substance’ surfaced on social media. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. The DEO has been asked to visit the school on Monday. In the purported video, the youngsters are seen threatening the minor as he resists.
Taking cognisance of the video, joint director of State Commission for Protection of Children Rights (SCPCR) Rajwinder Singh Gill said, “I will seek a report into the matter from the police commissioner.” Bains said the incident had taken place outside school premises and it more of a ‘law-and-order issue’.
Police, however, said the matter was settled and it was among friends. Division number 3 station-house officer (SHO) inspector Vijay Kumar said, “The incident is from before Shivaratri. A Class 9 student was caught by his friends, who tried to get him to eat fritters made with bhang. We called in the boys and their parents and warned them.”.
The school principal school said it was an isolated incident and they did not get any such complaints in the past. The principal clarified that the youngsters seen forcing the minor to consume the intoxicating substance were not students of the schools.