BICHOLIM: Five students including a girl student of Shree Shantadurga Higher Secondary School, Bicholim, who were involved in the pepper spray incident have been suspended from school for a period of one-month by the school administration.
Of the five suspended students, two are Class XII students and four from Class XI.
The action against the five students was taken following a preliminary inquiry after 11 girl students of the higher secondary school were hospitalised after they complained suffocation and nausea on Thursday. The incident is learnt to have happened during interval.
All the students have been discharged while one student was referred to the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim for further treatment and her condition is now stated to be improving.
On Friday morning, parents gathered outside the higher secondary school demanding thorough investigation in the matter and to ensure that such mischiefs are not repeated in future. Deputy Director of Education (Planning) Manoj Sawaikar visited the higher secondary school and inspected the classroom where the incident occurred, in the presence of officials of Vidyavardhak Mandal and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
Sawaikar also held a joint meeting with the officials of Vidyavardhak Mandal, teachers of Shree Shantadurga HSS and PTA members.
It was also revealed a similar incident had occurred in the classroom on August 11. Soon after Thursday’s incident, one of the suspected student was found in possession of e-cigarette, which was broken and cannot be refilled.
After the meeting, Vidyavardhak Mandal Chairman Vijay Sardessai informed that after preliminary inquiry, five students – four boys and one girl has been placed under suspension for one month.
He said that though CCTV cameras have been installed in the HSS building, additional 22 cameras were fitted on Friday and that the school management will take stern action against those found involved after the full inquiry.
Meanwhile, as per the directives of the Directorate of Education, a high-level panel has been constituted to conduct investigation and to submit a detail report. The committee will record statements of victims, suspended students, witnesses, what action to be contemplated by the institution and the CCTV footages and submit them to the Bicholim police.
After receiving the detailed report from the committee, the police will further re-interrogate the suspected students in the presence of NGO representative and if deemed fit, report the matter for further legal formalities to the Juvenile Justice Board.
