Parents protest at Meenangadi School over alleged liquor consumption during tour; Govt launches probe

Kalpetta: A group of parents and residents staged a protest at the Government Higher Secondary School, Meenangadi, on Thursday, alleging that the school's Parents Teachers' Association (PTA) president had consumed alcohol during the return journey from a three-day student tour to Hyderabad.

The incident also led to allegations against the school principal, who denied having consumed alcohol.

Around 150 students and teachers from the school had travelled to Hyderabad on a five-day tour in three buses. The controversy erupted when the buses returned to the school on Thursday morning.

Parents and residents stopped the bus carrying Principal Shibi Krishnan when it reached the school premises. They alleged that some students had complained about the conduct of the principal and PTA president, S Hajiz, claiming that the two were intoxicated during the return journey.

The protesters demanded that the principal undergo a medical examination before being allowed to enter the school. Following the intervention of the police, a team from the Meenangadi police station took the principal to a hospital for a medical examination.

Principal Shibi Krishnan denied having consumed alcohol. However, he acknowledged that the PTA president had been asked to get off the bus after students complained that he smelled of liquor.

The incident came to light after videos recorded by students inside the bus circulated on social media. In the footage, several students, including girls, can be seen confronting the PTA president, complaining about the smell of alcohol and demanding that he leave the bus. As the students grew increasingly agitated, the teachers accompanying them reportedly discussed the situation with the principal and decided to ask the PTA president to get off the bus.

Meanwhile, Higher Secondary District Coordinator PK Jaleel told Onmanorama that he had initiated an inquiry into the incident on the instructions of the Regional Deputy Director of Higher Secondary Education.

“I have tried to contact all the parties concerned, but none of them was available for the inquiry,” Jaleel said. He confirmed that the police had taken the principal to a hospital for a medical examination. The PTA president was also unavailable for questioning, while the students had returned to their respective homes as there were no classes for them that day, he added.

According to Jaleel, the other teachers who accompanied the students unanimously maintained that the principal was not under the influence of alcohol. He also pointed out that the videos circulated by the students appeared to show that their anger was directed primarily at the PTA president, with no allegations against the principal evident in the footage.

“The school is one of the best in the district, and the future of the students, as well as the relationship between students and teachers, is important,” Jaleel said. The inquiry report will be submitted to the Regional Deputy Director within a few days, he added.