Keonjhar: Tension flared at the Adarsh Vidyalaya in Sundarpal under Hatadihi block of Keonjhar district after an allegedly inebriated headmaster severely beat up a minor student Tuesday with an iron rod for failing to answer a question. After that, he confined all the students inside the classroom from 10.00 am in the morning till 3.30 pm in the afternoon. To top it all when some parents of the students reached the school Wednesday morning to inquire about the incident, they again found the headmaster, identified as Nityananda Barik, in an inebriated condition. They were shellshocked and demanded immediate action against the errant teacher. It should also be stated here that earlier also complaints had been lodged against Barik. Female students had approached the block development officer (BDO) August 12 alleging that Barik conducted himself inappropriately. They alleged that Barik often talked to them about how he approached girls when he was in Class IX.
Following the complaint, officials from the block education office (BEO) along with the Anandpur sub-collector had initiated an inquiry. Sources also informed that Barik regularly comes to school drunk and misbehaves with students. Narrating the incident, the victim student said that sir had asked him to name the six seasons’. When he failed to answer, Barik allegedly beat him up with an iron pipe, the student said.
Parents, after finding Barik unable to walk properly Wednesday, approached the local administration after which Anandpur sub-collector Anand Kumar Sethy and BDO Bichitra Kumar Kar reached the school. They spoke with the victim and other students of the school and also with Barik who confessed that he was drunk when the incident happened. The parents then demanded action against Barik and sought his dismissal. “We came and found that he (Barik) was drunk today also. How can he teach in this condition,” said one of the parents. Sethy assured that disciplinary measures will be taken against Barik. “We had earlier received similar complaints about the principal. He was found intoxicated today as well. Necessary action will be initiated against him,” Sethy said.
