Failed to recite Sanskrit prayers: Principal thrashes students

Itanagar: A school principal in Arunachal Pradesh allegedly beat up students for failing to recite prayers in Sanskrit and for low proficiency in the language. Police said on Sunday that the person from Pakke Kessang district has been arrested, PTI reported.

The school was operated by the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, which terminated the services of the principal after the allegations surfaced, they said.

The principal was arrested from Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Pakke Kessang's Superintendent of Police (SP) Tasi Darang said.

The incidents of physical abuse came to light after the parents of a class 1 student noticed bruises on his body. Following this, he said, a complaint was lodged at the Seijosa police station on December 10.

On the basis of the complaint, a case was registered under IPC section 342 (wrongful confinement) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) along with the Juvenile Justice Act's section 75 that deals with cruelty to children, he added.

At least 20 students who were in classes 1 to 4 were physically abused by the principal, a woman, the SP said.

The students were threatened with severe consequences if they reported the abuses to their parents, he said.

"Many students were physically abused for not chanting the school prayer properly, while some were beaten up for their apparent lack of proficiency in Sanskrit," the SP said.

Earlier, the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) said that the school had been operating since 2019 without registration.