After viral Bengal school fight, allegations of a scam, counter complaints
Woman staffer seen in scuffle video with students says school head instigated attack as she discovered SIR, midday meal irregularities; he rejects charge
A woman staffer and the teacher-in-charge of a government school in West Bengal’s Malda district have lodged police complaints against each other as a video of the woman engaged in a scuffle with a group of students has gone viral.
The alleged incident took place on August 21 and was captured on camera.
The non-teaching staff member, who joined the school last year, has alleged that she was assaulted by a group of students, both boys and girls, after she refused to issue transfer certificates. She also alleged that the teacher-in-charge (TIC) instigated the students to attack her as she found financial irregularities in the midday meal scheme.
After viral Bengal school fight, allegations of a scam, counter complaints
Speaking to The Indian Express over the phone, the woman staffer said, “There were discrepancies in the spelling of the names of the students in the register. I informed the TIC that without his signature, I would not be able to issue the transfer certificates to the students. But he (TIC) refused to sign. Instead, he ordered me to issue the certificates. I can’t do that because I would be blamed for it later. During the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, there were several irregularities in the issuance of school certificates. I also found several financial irregularities in the school.”
Regarding the August 21 incident, the woman staffer said that a group of students, both boys and girls, suddenly barged into the staff room and assaulted her. “I got to know later that the TIC had instigated the parents and the students against me,” the woman staffer said, adding that she has not gone to the school since then.
The TIC, on the other hand, alleged that he and other teachers were attacked by the woman staffer and her family members outside the school.
“On August 20, guardians of two students had come for their wards’ transfer certificates. She (the woman staffer) showed me the records stating that the transfer certificate was already issued to the two students in 2014. The guardians claimed they had lost the certificates, and I asked them to provide a copy of the general diary, which they had lodged with the police for the lost documents. The next day, the guardians returned with a copy of the police general diary to get the duplicate certificates. Mondal was given all the documents, but she refused to issue the certificate, noting that there were some spelling corrections in the students’ register,” the TIC said.
“She kept pressuring me to sign, saying that without which, she would not issue the certificates… An argument ensued as she refused to listen. Suddenly, she slapped me. In my 18 years of teaching, I was never humiliated like this. I locked myself in my chamber. Later, I heard that when the students got to know about the incident, they went to her, but she began assaulting the students,” the TIC said, adding that since she joined the school last year, she has not been working properly.
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According to him, when he and some other teachers reached a hospital for treatment, they were assaulted by the woman staffer’s husband and other family members.
Later, both the TIC and the woman staffer lodged counter-complaints with the police against each other.
The TIC rejected the woman staffer’s charge against him about financial irregularities in the school.
“In 18 years of my career, no such allegations have ever been made against me. Suddenly, she is levelling such baseless allegations against me,” the TIC told The Indian Express.
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While Malda Superintendent of Police Anupam Singh did not respond to the calls or messages, sources said that a police team had visited the school and collected CCTV footage and videos of the 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.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
