Private schools, colleges in Punjab closed to protest Gurdaspur school MD’s arrest

Protesters say serious matter of four-year-old student’s alleged sexual assault on March 31 should be investigated without maligning the dignity of an individual

Private schools and colleges in Punjab remained closed on Monday in protest against the arrest of the managing director (MD) of a Gurdaspur-based school and his nephew in a case of alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old student on March 31.

Police are yet to identify the main accused of the rape of a four-year-old student of the Gurdaspur school but have arrested the institution’s MD and his nephew. (Representative image)

The state president of Private Unaided School Association (PUSA), an umbrella organisation of 1,700 schools affiliated with CBSE and ICSE, Vinod Khurana, said that almost all institutes remained shut in Punjab.

“We also got the support of 3,300 private schools affiliated with Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) as there has been a strong resentment against the authorities after the Gurdaspur incident. The police action was unjust as there was no evidence against the chairman and other managers of the school. We will soon decide on our course of action if our demand for the immediate release of our colleagues is not met,” said Khurana.

Jagjit Singh, president of the Federation of Private Schools and Association of Punjab, said around 6,000 private schools and colleges remained shut. “Police have not got any clue to find the real culprit but have arrested innocent persons who have no hand in the case,” he said, adding that the association members will meet senior police officials on Tuesday.

CBSE Affiliated Schools Association president Anil Chopra appealed to chief minister Bhagwant Mann to take serious note on the matter and order a fair probe. The association members said that they will continue to protest till the police arrest the main accused and cancel the FIR against the school chairman.

Most private school authorities had alerted parents on Sunday itself that the next day would also be an off in view of the protest. Mohinder Singh Bhola, another private school operator, said the call for the strike was given to stop the harassment of innocent people. “We don’t intend to influence the judicial process but police should not come under undue pressure from politicians or the so-called civil society,” he said.

Superintendent of Police (headquarters) Mukesh Kumar, who is also the head of a five-member special investigation team in the rape case, said investigation is under way.

(with agency inputs)