Odisha school principal thrashed, garlanded with shoes over ‘affair’ claims | Bhubaneswar News
ROURKELA: The president of a school managing committee (SMC) of a Sevashram school in Sundargarh district and three others were arrested on Saturday for allegedly assaulting the institute’s in-charge headmaster earlier that day. According to district officials, the headmaster was garlanded with shoes and paraded through the village upon suspicions that he was having an illicit relationship with the school’s cook, the wife of SMC president.On Sunday, district welfare officer Bhagirathi Patel said he has directed the additional district welfare officer, Bonai, to conduct an inquiry in this regard and submit a report.The arrests were made following a complaint by the victim. The arrested men were identified as Yudhistira Patmunda (39), Bishnu Kalo (28), Daktar Penthei (45) and Guru Mohan Naik (52). All are residents of Khajurdihi village under Koida police station limits. The inspector in-charge of Koida police station, R.Swain, said police are searching for other accused involved in the incident.The victim, Rohit Kumar Ray (45), serves as in-charge headmaster of Khajurdihi Sevashram, a residential school under the SC & ST department. He was accused by Patmunda, the SMC president, of having an affair with his wife. Villagers had earlier warned Ray to stay away from Sakuntala, who was transferred from the school three months ago and no longer lived with her husband.On Feb 25, during the school’s annual function, a quarrel broke out between Ray and Patmunda over the same issue. On Saturday around 10:30am, Ray was on his way to Patuli school to collect question papers when Patmunda and other villagers intercepted him. He was assaulted, garlanded with shoes and paraded through the village. Villagers also accused him of making repeated sexual advances towards other women. Koida police later rescued Ray from the mob.Ray had earlier been arrested on charges of sexual misconduct while serving as an assistant teacher at another school. He was suspended at the time but later reinstated.
