The student of Maharana Pratap Sports College, Raipur, Dehradun who had complained about the poor quality of food being served to the college students to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat during his surprise visit to the college campus on Monday was allegedly beaten by the college principal Manoj Sharma in inebriated state the same evening. Suspicious that liquor had played a role in the unsavory incident, Police had conducted a medical test on Monday night and its report revealed that Sharma was under the influence of liquor when the boy was thrashed.
According to the student thus thrashed, he was beaten by the principal twice — at the play ground and later after the dinner on minor issues on Monday. Moreover, victim's father, a laksar (Haridwar) resident, Dara Singh said he would reach Dehradun to meet the Chief Minister over this issue on Wednesday and will submit a memorandum, demanding prompt suspension of the college principal by way of exemplary punishment for his outrageous behavior with his son.
While recounting the incident to The Pioneer, the victimized student said that during his inspection in the college on Monday, Chief Minister Rawat had asked him about the quality of food being served to them in
the hostel.
"I replied that only poor quality of chapatti was what was being served here each day in the hostel. We complained the same to the administration earlier, but to no avail. Acting on our complaint, the CM had directed the college staff to improve the quality of the food provided to the students," he said. "The principal Sharma was enraged as he got to know from his driver that I had complained to the CM. The principal had beaten me at the play ground and again later after dinner while scolding me why I had dared to complain to the Chief Minister about the poor quality of food being severed to the inmates of the hostel," he added.
However, the college principal Sharma said, "True, corporal punishment is banned in the college. However, I confess I had scolded and beaten the student. But there is nothing malicious in it. I beat him the same way I beat my son off and on when I find he commits a mistake. I had beaten him because he had gone out of the college campus without seeking permission from the hostel superintendent." According to the principal, this student was one of the eight students who had received injury in the blast of mortal cell that had occurred in 2012 in the college campus. "Moreover, he flunked his Class X board examination this year,"
he added.
Talking to The Pioneer, Dhara Singh, victim’s father, sounded anguished.
According to Singh, Sharma on Monday had asked him in threatening tones to take his child back from the hostel.
Singh further said that along with the local MlA and Mining Development Council president Pranav Singh 'Champion', he would meet the Chief Minister in Dehradun to submit a memorandum, demanding removal of the college principal.
Singh alleged that his son is being singled out for ill-treatment by the college principal over the last two years. Responding to the complaint made to the Chief Minister Rawat about a student having been beaten by the college principal, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Rautela along with other police officers reached the college and met the concerned student.
later, college principal Sharma was called in the campus and he confessed having consumed liquor. Police imposed challan on the college principal under Police Act, it is learnt.
SSP Rautela said that he had directed the Raipur Police Station in-charge and sub-inspector Mukesh Tyagi to conduct inquiry into this incident and submit a report soon.
On the reported beating of the student by the Principal, the Chief Minister said such incidents were regrettable.
Proper action was being taken by officials. It was not necessary for the Chief Minister to intervene in every incident.