Principal assaults boy, college says incident exaggerated

 

Mangaluru, 12 Jul 2015: A pre-university college principal allegedly assaulted a student for coming later after Friday afternoon namaaz.

 

A compliant has been registered at the Bajpe police station in this regard. Campus Front of India alleged the college Principal Brother Hector BN Pinto of St Joseph’s PU College had beaten the boy, Mohammed Aboobakker Siddique, 17, a after he came late to college after the namaaz.

 

Police said the College Board has assured that they would meet on Monday to discuss the issue with the parents and CFI activists.

 

According to CFI, the student had been warned by the principal on Thursday as he had come late after the afternoon namaaz. When this repeated on Friday, an angry principal had allegedly dragged him into the chamber and pushed him against the wall and also assaulted him later.

 

The boy after receiving initial treatment at Bajpe primary health centre was later shifted to Highland Hospital in the city on Saturday after he started vomiting on Friday night. The boy was discharged on Saturday night.

 

The Campus Front activists who came to know of the incident on Saturday protested before the college. The principal who met the protestors in his office reportedly admitted to his mistake and said he was ready to offer his resignation if the College Board demands it.

 

Campus Front of India District President Irshad Bajpe said: The principal was targeting this boy from last year for reasons unknown. On Thursday, the principal had reprimanded him for coming late to school after namaaz and ordered him not to go for Namaaz on Friday. But the boy went and the principal was waiting for him and beat him. Siddique said though about ten boys came late on Thursday, the principal had targeted only him. He claimed that he did not talk back to the principal.

 

COLLEGE VERSION:

The boy was given one beating on his back as he talked back to the principal when asked why he had come late even after the warning on Thursday. The college has advanced lunch break timings from 1.10pm to 12.50pm to allow Muslim students offer namaaz on Fridays. The 45 minute break is sufficient for Muslim students to offer namaaz and come back. The boy has disciplinary issues from the beginning and he argues and talks back. On Thursday, though some boys came late and also got drenched in rain, only Siddique argued back. If students get wet in the rain and fall sick, parents will question the college authorities. There are CCTVs inside the college and it can be checked whether the version of the boy is true. The principal has not offered his resignation pertaining to the incident, but said that he would do so - if this one incident -which is blown out of proportions puts the institution in bad light.