Noida: On July 30, a Class 10 student at a private school in the city returned home with swollen legs and a high fever.Now, the student’s father has lodged a complaint with the district authorities as the girl has alleged that a teacher made her perform 100 sit-ups as punishment for not carrying her science textbook to class, following which she developed swelling in her legs and fever.The girl also alleged that despite telling the teacher that she was having difficulty breathing, he dismissed it as an excuse and asked her to continue.The student’s father has sought an inquiry and action against the teacher and school principal. He added that the principal threatened to issue transfer certificates (TCs) to his children.The school denied the allegations. Principal Renu Sharma told TOI, “No teacher at the school has done anything of the sort to the girl. The parent’s allegations are false.”District inspector of schools (GB Nagar) Chandrashekhar said instructions had been issued to the school principal hold an inquiry. “Instructions have been issued to the school principal to form a committee, conduct an inquiry and submit a report. Action will be taken against the school if the complaint is found to be valid,” he said.According to a written complaint to the district magistrate by the parent, the incident took place when the girl’s science class was held after lunch. The student told her father that a teacher at Shastri Vidya Mandir in Garhi Asgarpur asked her to take out her science book.“When she said she did not have it, the teacher asked her to step outside the classroom and perform 100 sit-ups while holding her ears,” said Ajay Awana, her father.Awana said after his daughter returned home that day “with swollen legs and a high fever”, he contacted school principal Renu Sharma on the phone and later visited the school.“Instead of taking action against the teacher, the principal threatened to issue transfer certificates (TCs) to my children and asked me not to send them to school. Since then, my children are not going to the school,” he added.“My four children study in this school. The principal has threatened to issue the TCs of all of them and told me not to send them to school. How will their education continue? There has already been physical punishment, and now the children’s future is also being put at stake,” Awana said.In his complaint, Awana has also alleged that one of his children’s TCs was handed over to him on Aug 3 and sought an inquiry into the school’s recognition and affiliation.
