A Class 11 student’s father was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly assaulting a teacher with a belt at a school in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, the police said.
The viral video of the incident shows Debabrata Das, father of the student, entering the classroom at Haripada Institution in Gopalnagar, talking to the students, and then suddenly removing his belt and attacking the Bengali teacher, Arun Das, for allegedly scolding his son.
According to school authorities, the incident took place on Monday after some students, including Debabrata Das’ son, had allegedly begun shouting and creating chaos during the registration process for Class 11 students. Arun Das, who was in charge of the registration work, had reprimanded the students to maintain silence. As the situation escalated, Debabrata Das was called to the school, following which he attacked the teacher.
Though Samaresh Chandra Mondal, teacher-in-charge, intervened to stop the attack, he was also allegedly struck by the belt and sustained injuries.
Mondal told The Indian Express, “It’s a very shocking incident. This should not have happened in an educational institute. The father has been arrested, but still… The teacher is in shock. More than the physical injuries, it is the mental trauma. All of us stood in support for him.”
However, while being taken into custody on Tuesday, Debabrata Das told reporters, “I did not hit the teacher, but I had actually gone to hit my son. I wanted to reprimand my son.”
The teachers lodged a complaint with the Gopalnagar police station and submitted CCTV footage of the incident.
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Meanwhile, the Advanced Society for Headmasters and Headmistresses, during a meeting with State Education Minister Dipak Barman, submitted a representation seeking protection and dignity for headmasters and headmistresses. The delegation highlighted the issue of repeated attacks, physical assault and mental harassment of headmasters and headmistresses by miscreants across the state and demanded adequate administrative security.
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
