Kolkata school gets proposal to include Islamic teachings, police launch probe
Jadavpur Vidyapith in South Kolkata has approached the police after receiving a parcel containing textbooks and a letter demanding Islamic religious education be included in its curriculum.
3 min readKolkataUpdated: Sep 27, 2026 04:55 PM IST
adavpur Vidyapith in south Kolkata has approached the police after receiving a registered parcel containing a letter proposing Islamic religious education (File photo for representative use).
Jadavpur Vidyapith in South Kolkata has approached the police after receiving an unsolicited proposal demanding the inclusion of Islamic religious education in its curriculum. The parcel, received via registered post on September 24 and addressed to headmaster Partha Pratim Baidya, contained a letter alongside three textbooks, including a Quran.
The sender, identified as Sheikh Abdul Murad, urged the school to teach Islamic principles and Quranic values to both students and teachers. Citing safety concerns and constitutional restrictions on religious instruction in government-recognised institutions, the headmaster immediately turned the materials over to the Jadavpur police station.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Partha Pratim Baidya said, “The parcel arrived on September 24, but since we were busy, we were not able to see what had come. The next day, when I opened the parcel, I saw the letter and its contents. Since students’ safety and security is a priority, I immediately took everything to the police station, informed them in writing about what had happened, and handed over all the contents of the parcel.”
He added, “We teach our students to respect all religions. If someone had gifted me such a book, I would have kept it. But demanding that it be taught like this seemed unusual to me, so I immediately informed the police. Such an incident has never happened before in my long teaching career. The matter is sensitive, and that is why I reported it to the police station near my school.”
Given the incident’s sensitive nature, the headmaster submitted a detailed written complaint to the police, who have initiated an investigation.
The school authorities have asked the police to trace the letter’s source, verify the sender’s identity, and investigate why the proposal was directed at their institution. The school administration highlighted constitutional restrictions on including religious education in government-funded or government-recognised educational institutions. They emphasised their intent to prevent religious division or discomfort among students.
Police sources confirmed that an investigation is underway. A senior officer said authorities are examining where the parcel originated and reviewing CCTV footage around the school premises.
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Investigators are also probing whether the named individual dispatched the parcel or someone else used that identity. The police are looking into why this specific school was targeted and whether this is an isolated incident.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
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