ALMORA, UTTARAKHAND — Authorities in Uttarakhand's Almora district have ordered a high-level inquiry after a government school teacher allegedly subjected five students to extreme disciplinary actions by forcefully cutting their hair with scissors and slashing their school uniforms with a blade.
The incident, which took place on Wednesday, July 22, at Government Inter College Bangidhar in the Salt block, sparked widespread indignation among parents, local leaders, and right-wing outfits, who staged protests on the school premises.
Allegations of Corporal Punishment and Vandalism
According to school sources, Geography lecturer Arju Afroz Ansari singled out five students over alleged indiscipline. Witnesses and complainants alleged that Ansari used scissors to cut the hair of several students and took a blade to slash their uniform shirts.
Additionally, two female students claimed that the teacher tore out pages from their class notebooks during the episode.
The actions led to immediate anger among families. On Thursday, parents joined members of the School Management Committee, local public representatives, and office-bearers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at the school, staging a two-hour protest demanding strict disciplinary and legal consequences against the lecturer.
"Such humiliating treatment of students under the guise of enforcing school discipline is entirely unacceptable," said a representative during the protest. Protesters later submitted formal memoranda to the school principal and Salt Station House Officer (SHO) Kashmir Singh, pressing for harsh penalties.
Inquiry Panel Set Up; Teacher Issues Written Apology
Following the mounting outrage, Ansari submitted a written apology to the school principal before going on leave, citing personal reasons.
In response to demands from parents and community representatives, educational authorities constituted a three-member departmental inquiry panel to investigate the incident thoroughly.
Speaking on the administrative response, Salt Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rinku Bisht confirmed that a formal probe is underway.
"The administration and the education department have initiated a joint inquiry into the Bangidhar College incident," SDM Bisht said. "The department has set up a three-member committee to conduct a thorough probe and issued an official briefing. Statements and evidence are being gathered from all stakeholders—including the head of the institution, staff members, students, parents, and the accused lecturer."
The panel has been instructed to submit its final investigation report by July 26, which will form the basis for further departmental action.
Police Await Probe Findings
Local police confirmed that no formal First Information Report (FIR) has been registered yet, as parents have not submitted a criminal complaint to the police station.
Salt SHO Kashmir Singh noted that law enforcement is closely monitoring the departmental investigation and will proceed with appropriate legal steps once the official inquiry report is finalized.
