Math teacher in Dombivli who beat up students booked

A mathematics teacher in Dombivli, India was terminated after allegedly beating up students with a stick and plastic rod. Parents protested demanding action against the teacher. The teacher has been booked under the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

A mathematics teacher with a private school in Dombivli was booked on Friday for allegedly beating up several students in division A and B of Class V with a stick and a plastic rod. The 30-year-old teacher, who has been identified as Neelam Bharmal, has been terminated by the management.

Math teacher in Dombivli who beat up students booked

On Friday morning, agitated parents staged a protest near S H Jondhale English Medium School demanding action against the teacher. They claimed that the students were finding it tough to understand her style of teaching and when they failed to solve the problems, the teacher took the drastic step. The parents were later joined by office bearers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Police had to intervene to disperse the protestors.

Based on a complaint filed by a parent, the Vishnunagar police registered a case against Bharmal under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Though the parents claimed that nearly 80 students were beaten up by the teacher, senior police inspector Mohan Khandare said only 30-40 students had complained about the punishment. “The teacher has not been arrested yet and we are searching for her. Her mobile number is switched off,” he said and added that she joined the school a few days ago.

Vaishali Vijay Munde, a parent of a Class V student, said, “My daughter is in A division. I along with other parents approached the school on Thursday and complained to the principal about the teacher. Some students did not understand the sums she was teaching. Later in the day, the teacher brutally beat up nearly 80 students with a plastic rod.”

Pratiksha Rohan Patil, parent of a Class V student who is also in A division, said the teacher blamed the students who failed to solve problems. “She beat up every student in both A and B divisions with a plastic rod. We can understand a teacher punishing students with a scale but where did she get access to a plastic rod?”

Patil further said when she requested the principal to ask the teacher to applogise to the students for her behaviour, he claimed that they did not have her address or her resume or her phone number. “Then how and why was she recruited?”

When contacted, Devendra Shivaji Jondhale, managing director of the school, told HT that it was Bharmal’s first day at the school.

“Soon after the principal came to know about the incident, he terminated the teacher. Our management has supported the students and lodged a complaint against the teacher. There was no protest, but the parents had come with their complaints,” he said.