Ludhiana: Teacher on Census duty held captive over fraud suspicion, say Cops

“My wife was performing a government-assigned duty involving multiple departments, including the education department and municipal corporation. Why should only the family become complainants when she was acting on behalf of the government,” said the husband

A government school teacher deputed for Census 2027 duty was confined inside a house in the Model Town area for nearly two hours on Sunday after a family suspected the survey exercise to be fraudulent, police said on Monday.

“We have recorded the teacher’s statement and further action is being examined,” the SHO said. (HT File)

The incident has raised concerns over the safety of teachers and government staff engaged in door-to-door field assignments.

The teacher, identified as Manisha Dutta, a mathematics teacher working as an enumerator for the census survey, was later rescued after police officials reached the spot. According to her husband, Kanwar Ajay Pal Singh, the incident occurred while the teacher was conducting a door-to-door census survey in the locality.

He said she had approached a house to collect details when the occupants allegedly prevented her from leaving despite repeated requests. Singh said that although the teacher showed her government identity card and offered

verification through the official scanner, the family continued to suspect that she was a fraudster and kept the main gate

locked. He further claimed that after being confined inside the house, the teacher managed to contact him over phone following which he rushed to the spot and sought police assistance.

The husband alleged that the teacher repeatedly attempted to contact officials for help, but the emergency contact number provided to field staff did not have an incoming call facility.

The family opened the gate only after police teams and senior officials arrived at the spot, he said, adding that the incident caused severe mental distress to the teacher and she suffered an anxiety attack afterward.

“This is not how teachers on government duty should be treated. It is extremely unsafe for teachers carrying out door-to-door surveys,” he said, while also alleging reluctance on the part of the police to immediately register an FIR. Singh also questioned why the departments involved in the census exercise were not coming forward as complainants in the matter. “My wife was performing a government-assigned duty involving multiple departments, including the education department and municipal corporation. Why should only the family become complainants when she was acting on behalf of the government?” he said.

Inspector Sukhwinder Singh, SHO of Model Town police station, said police intervened promptly after receiving information and safely rescued the teacher.

“The family feared it could be a fraud attempt. We have recorded the teacher’s statement and further action is being examined,” the SHO said.