Few Hindu students were punished for having burst crackers for Deepavali by Christian minority matriculation school at Keezhapudur.

The city police have launched an inquiry on a complaint preferred against a Christian minority matriculation school at Keezhapudur here by a parent alleging that his son was punished by the school authorities for having burst crackers for Deepavali.

The Palakkarai police station under whose jurisdiction the school falls has issued a CSR (Community Service Register) upon receiving the complaint from S. Sethuraman against the school headmaster and physical education teacher.

Mr. Sethuraman alleged that his son and a few other Hindu students were punished for having burst crackers for Deepavali, and that the action has caused them mental agony.

Police sources said an inquiry was conducted with the school headmaster and the physical education teacher on Saturday .

Sources said the school authorities had reportedly asked some students who had burst crackers to bow their heads as an act of seeking pardon from nature during the prayer session a day after the festival. Some children who had not burst crackers were given appreciation letters.

The school authorities had reportedly told the police that they had only acted on the instructions given by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in letter and spirit.

Against teacher

Another complaint has been preferred against the same school by a parent alleging that the physical education teacher had beaten up her daughter with a cane for having applied mardani (henna (mehandi). A CSR has also been issued based on the complaint with the police conducting inquiry into this as well.