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West Bengal ragging case: Parents ransack school, principal arrested

In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old student has died allegedly of trauma suffered after being bullied in a school in West Bengal`s North 24 Parganas district.

Zee Media Bureau
Kolkata: In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old student has died allegedly of trauma suffered after being bullied in a school in West Bengal`s North 24 Parganas district. The principal of Christ Church Girls` School was today arrested in connection with the death, which triggered violent agitation by angry guardians who ransacked the institution. Helen Sarkar, the principal of the school at Dum Dum, was arrested for negligence of duty, a day after death of the 11-year-old student, kept confined inside a toilet allegedly by her seniors, police said. Earlier in the day, succumbing to mounting pressure, the principal had tendered her resignation. She will be produced before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate in Barrackpore tomorrow. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee talked to the student`s mother Rekha Das and consoled her, assuring that she would look into the incident. According to reports, three students of class 8 last week asked Class 5 student Oindrilla Das to pay Rs 100. Das’s family alleges that when their daughter refused to pay, she was locked in the toilet of the school on September 04 and was rescued by a sweeper five hours later. Subsequently, the schoolgirl, who was in acute trauma, was taken to a psychiatrist by her parents last Sunday. The psychiatrist reportedly gave her an injection and soon after, she lost consciousness. She died at a local hospital on Wednesday, a week after the incident. Calling the incident unfortunate, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu said that he has asked for the preliminary report of the incident. Her death raged protests outside the school. The parents and relatives of Das reportedly barged into the principal`s room and ransacked the school, demanding the arrest and removal of the principal, alleging that she did nothing to save the girl. Claiming that similar incidents have happened with other junior girls of the Christ Church Girls` School in Dum Dum in the city`s outskirts, the parents and guardians accused the principal of inaction, despite full knowledge of the incidents. Oindrila`s parents rubbished school authorities` claims that the girl had not complained to them of her trauma, and accused Principal Helen Sarkar of inaction. "The girls responsible for ragging her should be identified and strict action should be taken against them," the parents said. "I have lost my daughter. But at least her death has created awareness which will help save many little girls from the menace of ragging," the victim`s father Santanu Das said. Police, in riot gear, later dispersed the crowd. (With Agency inputs)