2 UP teachers booked for holding students hostage over transfer order

District basic education officer (BSA) Laxmi Kant Pandey identified the accused as contactual teachers Manorama Mishra and Goldi Katiyar and said the duo had received orders to take up posts at schools in the Palia and Ramiya Behar blocks on Thursday.

Two teachers at a government school in Behjam village of Lakhimpur Kheri district have been booked for confining at least 20 girl students to the school building’s roof on Thursday night in an apparent bid to pressurise authorities to cancel their transfer orders, district officials said on Friday.

A four-member committee has been formed, which would investigate the incident and submit their report within three days.

District basic education officer (BSA) Laxmi Kant Pandey identified the accused as contactual teachers Manorama Mishra and Goldi Katiyar and said the duo had received orders to take up posts at schools in the Palia and Ramiya Behar blocks on Thursday.

He added that the duo then decided to resort to confining the students on the school building roof, to mount pressure for cancellation of the transfer orders.

Pandey along with the district coordinator, girls’ education, Renu Srivastav, and block education officers rushed to the school and took stock of the situation.

“On Thursday, after receiving their transfer orders, the duo resorted to harassing the girl students to put pressure on the department to cancel their transfer orders,” he added.

“Given the gravity of the situation, a first information report (FIR) under sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult causing a breach of peace) and 336 (the act of negligence endangering human life or personal safety) had been lodged at Neemgaon police station against the two accused teachers,” Pandey told HT.

The police complaint filed by Srivastav, states: “Warden Lalit Kumari informed me and the district basic education officer that Manorama Mishra and Goldi Katiyar had confined children to the school’s rooftop. When I reached the spot, I saw that the police were already on the site and some girls were still stuck on the roof and were crying.”

Pandey said that a four-member committee comprising district coordinator Mala Srivastava, state resource group teacher Anupama Mishra, block education officers (BEOs) of Lakhimpur head office and Behjam block, has been formed, which would investigate the incident and submit their report within three days.