Why Did a School Teacher Open Fire on Children in Bengal?
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Kolkata, Feb 21 (NationPress) A child sustained injuries when a primary educator allegedly discharged his firearm at schoolchildren playing outside his residence in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. The police confirmed the arrest of the suspect on Saturday.
Local reports indicate that there is a vast field adjacent to the home of the accused, Sameer Kumar Mandal, in Banipur village. On Friday afternoon, as usual, around 10 to 12 children were engaged in a game of cricket and football. During their play, the ball struck the door and wall of Sameer’s house multiple times. It is alleged that the teacher, in a fit of rage, fired five to six rounds from his gun at the children in the field.
A peer of the injured child recounted, “We were playing and the ball kept hitting the wall of Mandal's house. Suddenly, I noticed him shooting at us from the rooftop. The bullets were whizzing past our ears and over our heads. We were too frightened to move initially. Then, I saw that one of the bullets had struck one of our friends.”
“The child who was hurt collapsed on the ground, crying out in pain. Local residents rushed to the scene and transported him to the hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment,” police reported.
Upon receiving the alert, officers from the Raghunathganj police station arrived at the location. The teacher was apprehended on Friday night. Authorities confirmed that the accused is employed at Omarpur Primary School.
“A sophisticated air gun was utilized in this incident. An investigation is underway to determine if he possessed a valid license for the weapon. However, the family of the accused claims that the air gun was acquired from Kolkata with the appropriate documentation,” stated a senior officer from the Jangipur Police District.
The police are actively looking into the case.
On his way to the police station, Sameer confessed to firing the gun. He told local reporters, “I shot into the air, not aiming at anyone. I have no idea how the bullet hit the child.”
The father of the injured boy mentioned, “My son went to play in the field by the Kali Temple as he usually does.”
“How could a teacher resort to shooting at children like this?” he questioned, calling for strict punishment for the accused.