Teachers’ profession is noble, but here as many as four are accused of committing crimes with one put up in jail, one suspended, one absconding and the fourth one, after having been at large for many days, has joined duty with bail from court.
Dolamani Patel, teacher in lephripara Girls High School, is accused in a cheating and land grab case. He declared him as a god man and lured the villagers of Bandhjharia and Satjharia and thereby acquired over 100 acres of land in that locality by fraud. On receiving complaint, the lepripada police raided the ashram of Patel that he built on the land. Revenue officials also conducted land demarcation. The controversial teacher absconded for many days and recently, after getting anticipatory bail from the Orissa High Court, has joined duty.
Similarly, Dilip Kumar Behera of Timna Upper Primary School under Bargaon police station had allegedly beaten a class 1 student. Fearing action against him by police, he has been absconding. After complaint by the victim’s parents, police have registered a case and have been searching Behera. The District Education Office of Sundargarh has suspended him in the mean time.
In another incident, the headmaster of Bhutuda Government Nodal UP School under Bonei sub division was suspended recently allegedly for instructing his students to carry bricks and caning them in school premises on the Teacher’s Day. After receiving a complaint, lahunipada Block Education Officer Aladin Naik had conducted an inquiry and had found headmaster Bhubaneswar Patra to be guilty.
Yet another headmaster of a Government primary school was suspended and later arrested over allegation of sexual harassment. Accused Debananda Patel of Raidhi Primary School is now cooling his heels in the Sundargarh Jail.