The Principal of Gungamuwa Primary School in Millaniya, who was remanded over the alleged assault and torture of several students for stealing a teacher’s purse,
has been interdicted, Western Provincial Director of Education Srilal Nonis said.
Nonis said the Provincial Education Department has begun an investigation regarding the incident. Accordingly, further disciplinary action will be decided against the persons who are responsible for this inhuman act, he said.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Keminda Perera on Tuesday (8) ordered to remand the school principal and two police officers of Millaniya police station until November 16 in connection with this incident of assaulting and torturing three students studying in grade five of Millaniya Gungamuwa Primary School, Bandaragama. Also, another teacher of the school and the police driver of the Millaniya Police were also ordered to be released on bail. These suspects were called to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) on Tuesday to obtain statements regarding the incident, and after being interrogated for nearly eight hours, they were arrested by the Special Investigation Unit of the NCPA and produced before court.
Investigations conducted by the NCPA have revealed that these students were attacked in connection with an incident in which a teacher’s purse was allegedly lost. The NCPA said that preliminary investigations revealed that the students were assaulted while detained in the library room in the school. After making a phone call to the police by the principal, police officers had come to school. Three students were taken out of the school in the police jeep and their feet were electrocuted while in the jeep. This incident was reported on November 2.
Meanwhile, a large group of parents and students of the school engaged in a protest opposite the school yesterday (09) opposing actions against the principal and the police officers who were allegedly involving assaulting the children.
They said that due to the misrepresentation of this incident by some media, great injustice was meted out to the principal as well as to the police officers.
Those who participated in the protest said that some segment is targeting the principal who rendered immense service to the school and it is a wrong precedent to society.
The group engaged in the protest carrying placards with slogans such as, “The Principal of the Gungamuwa Vidyalaya who engaged in a great mission to generate good citizens, is today in
prison.” “We expect justice.” “Even police officers are fathers.” The principal who provided food,books and stationery, clothes and footwear at her expense is in jail today. “A village is in tears without you,”.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
, Local, ,