What Led to the Violent Protests at Birbhum School?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Protests erupted over a teacher's arrest in a murder case.
- Parents voiced strong concerns about safety at school.
- The headmaster was attacked by angry protesters.
- The victim's body was discovered after weeks of searching.
- The community is demanding accountability and justice.
Kolkata, Sep 18 (NationPress) A demonstration erupted at a school in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Thursday, following the arrest of a teacher linked to the murder of a girl student.
The unrest escalated at Shyampahari Sri Ramakrishna Shikshapeeth in Rampurhat, prompting police intervention to manage the furious parents and restore order.
The headmaster was brutally attacked by the protesters, requiring police assistance to rescue him and transport him to a hospital for treatment.
As soon as the headmaster arrived at the school, he was confronted and assaulted by the parents and local residents. Efforts by the police to save him were met with resistance from the crowd, which attempted to detain him. Additional police forces soon arrived to stabilize the situation.
The protesters accused the headmaster of attempting to protect the implicated teacher.
One irate parent voiced their concerns to reporters, stating, "How can we entrust our children to this school when a teacher is implicated in a student’s murder? The headmaster failed to take any action despite the deceased girl's family's complaints. Previously, there were other grievances against this teacher, but no measures were taken."
On Wednesday, the Birbhum Police apprehended the school's physics teacher after discovering the decomposed body of a seventh-grade student stuffed in a sack, approximately 20 days after she went missing.
The family of the victim accused the physics teacher, Manoj Kumar Pal, of both kidnapping and murdering their daughter.
Following their report, police arrested the teacher.
Authorities reported that the student’s body was dismembered, placed in a sack, and discarded beneath a bridge. It has been sent for a post-mortem examination to determine if any physical abuse occurred prior to her death.
According to the family’s complaint, the student left home on August 28 for her tuition classes.
After she did not return, her family reported her missing at the Rampurhat Police Station, subsequently alleging that Pal had abducted her.
On Tuesday night, the Rampurhat Police recovered the student’s body from a wetland near Kalidanga village, falling under the jurisdiction of the Rampurhat police station.