Kendrapada: From beatings to kneel downs and standing on one leg, punishment in school used to be varied. But a headmaster of a govt school in Jajpur district has gone many steps ahead by putting stinging nettle inside the trousers of 10 students. Their alleged crime — creating disturbance in class.The incident, which took place on April 17, came to the notice on Tuesday after the headmaster Basudev Dehuri was suspended for his act. The students, meanwhile, suffered from severe itching and had developed rashes.The incident triggered widespread condemnation. Parents and family members of the children staged an indefinite dharna in front of the school gate on April 18, demanding strict action against Dehuri.According to the complaint, students of Classes IV and V at Sarubila Upper Primary School were allegedly creating disturbance in the classroom, following which the headmaster plucked stinging nettle from bushes near the school premises and used it to punish them. The headmaster was also accused of abusing and assaulting some students.While Dehuri admitted to his guilt and submitted a written apology assuring that he would not repeat such an act, the education department proceeded with disciplinary action. Acting on complaints from parents, block education officer (BEO) Narayan Das suspended Dehuri on Tuesday.“After learning about the incident, we conducted an inquiry, talking to the students and other teachers. Based on the findings, the headmaster was suspended,” said Das.
