Kasaragod govt school headmaster booked for slapping student, damaging eardrum; child rights panel intervenes

Kasaragod: A government school headmaster has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act for slapping a 15-year-old Class 10 student during the morning assembly, an assault that damaged the boy's eardrum.

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights stepped in on Tuesday, with member B Mohankumar visiting the student’s house before inspecting the school premises.

The incident took place on August 11 at Government Higher Secondary School, Kundamkuzhi in Bedakam panchayat. During the morning assembly, Headmaster Ashokan M allegedly accused Abhinav Krishnan of scuffing gravel with his foot, called him to the front, and, in full view of students and teachers, allegedly grabbed him by the collar and slapped him on the right side of his face.

The boy later complained of severe ear pain, headache and nausea. A medical examination and scan revealed eardrum damage, with doctors warning that surgery may be required if complications arise. "For now, he has been told not to get the ear wet and to be careful for six months," said his mother, Anitha Krishnan.

She said her younger daughter, a Class V student at the same school, also witnessed the assault. "At first, no one informed me. Around noon, a teacher called to say that my son was unwell. When I reached the school at 1.30 pm, his friends told me the headmaster had slapped him in front of everyone," she said. "The first thing I asked was if he had made any mistake. His friends said no," she said.

Though the boy returned to class the following day, the pain worsened at night. A week later, he continues to complain of ear pain, Anitha said on Tuesday, August 19. "Now the Onam exams are going on. So he is attending school," she said.

Her husband, Krishnan, a farmer, suffered a stroke in 2018 and has been out of work since, struggling with memory loss and barely able to care for himself. Anitha now looks after the family's areca and coconut farming.

'Offered hush money'
Anitha alleged that soon after the assault, a few teachers, including headmaster Ashokan and PTA president Madhavan Bedira, called her to a cultural centre in Kundamkuzhi and offered her ₹1 lakh to hush up the matter. "We were planning to approach the police. They told me a complaint would damage the reputation of the school,” she said. She was also reminded that her husband had also studied there.

"But all that was before the scanning report. Once the report came, we went to the police and filed the complaint," she said.

PTA president Madhavan Bedira did not deny making an offer. "To be honest, we did make an offer, but not ₹1 lakh. We only offered to bear the treatment cost. When we visited the family, we saw their situation was dire, so we offered to help. But now it seems the boy has recovered," he said.

Child rights panel member Mohankumar said he had heard the boy and his mother during his visit. "I have sought reports from the Kasaragod DDE (Deputy Director of Education) and the Special Juvenile Police Unit. Based on those, the commission will make a decision," he said.

The PTA president and the commission member confirmed that the headmaster has not denied slapping the boy. "It was a mistake," Madhavan said, adding that the injury turned out to be more serious because the boy was physically fragile.

"The head teacher's post in our school is reserved for a Kannada-knowing teacher. Since Ashokan took charge two years ago, the school has made much progress. After a long time, we have a headmaster fluent in both Malayalam and Kannada," he said.

Bedakam police said they had booked Headmaster Ashokan under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the BNS for voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint. These offences carry a maximum jail term of one year and one month, respectively. He is also booked under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. If convicted, he faces up to five years' imprisonment or a fine of Rs 5 lakh, or both, as the cruelty is committed by someone entrusted with the care and protection of a child.

On Tuesday, a day after the FIR was registered, the headmaster did not attend school.