Odisha teacher lands in jail for tonsuring minor student

Reported by Malay Ray
Sundargarh, Jan23:

A lady teacher of a government school in Odisha’s Sundargarh district was arrested and forwarded to court on Friday morning for allegedly tonsuring a student half bald in the class room about 17 days ago.

Feeling humiliated and insulted after the incident, the 14-yr old tribal student has gone missing since then and has not returned home.

One Kartika Majhi, a tribal and resident of Bileigarh area, lodged an FIR in Rajgangpur police station on Wednesday that his son, who studies in Class VIII in Bileigarh Project Upper Primary School, had gone missing since January 6 as he was shaven half bald by Jaysmita Sa (35), a teacher in the classroom in front of his class mates.

Complainant Kartika Majhi has also mentioned in his FIR that another student was also given the same treatment by class teacher Sa inside the classroom on that day.

Based on the FIR, Rajgangpur police on Thursday interrogated Sa and arrested her on Friday. Sa was forwarded to court after being charged under sections 341 & 355 IPC and section 3 of the SC, ST Act by the police.

Sa was sent to judicial custody after her bail plea was rejected by a local court.

“Accused Jaysmita Sa has been arrested and forwarded to court under sections 341 & 355 of IPC and section 3 of SC, ST Act. We are searching for the child and investigations in the case are on “, said S P Das, IIC, Rajgangpur police station.

According to sources, on finding two class VIII students disturbing the class on January 6, Sa cut their hair and made them half bald, following which Katika’s son felt insulted and did not return home after the class ended.

When his son did not return home, Kartik came to know about the incidentand informed school authorities about it.

A meeting was held at the school and authorities had assured him that they would search for his son.

When his son did not return even 15 days after the incident, he lodged anthe FIR in the police station.