Police take school principal, her husband into custody

The police on Monday arrested S. Sashikala, principal of Jawahar English Medium School, Pathirapally, near Kudappanakkunnu, and her husband, K. Ravindran Pillai, after the parents of a four-year-old boy lodged a complaint stating that the former had locked up the boy, a lower kindergarten student, in a kennel as punishment for talking in class.

Childline staff and the police said the incident occurred on September 25. A teacher caught the boy talking in class and took him to Sashikala who allegedly brought her dog out of the kennel on the school premises. She then reportedly made the child sit inside the kennel from 10.30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

His sister, a class III student of the same school, saw him in the kennel. The principal allegedly told the child that she would force a stick down her throat if she reported the incident to her parents.

The frightened children kept quiet out of fear but subsequently gathered the courage to inform her parents, Childline sources said.

The parents reached the school on Monday and when the principal denied the incident they alerted the Childline. The parents lodged a complaint with the Peroorkada police as well.

City Police Commissioner H. Venkatesh said a case would be registered under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code. An investigation was on and the statement of the children would be taken once again in a ‘calm atmosphere,’ he said. There was tension on the school premises when several parents reached the school and demanded an explanation. The situation was brought under control by the police after the principal and her husband were taken into custody. They would be produced in court on Tuesday.