On Friday, Thane city police arrested Shilpa Gautam, wife of the school’s trustee Aashish Gautam, for allegedly beating around 10 students with a PVC pipe. (Representational Image) On Friday, Thane city police arrested Shilpa Gautam, wife of the school’s trustee Aashish Gautam, for allegedly beating around 10 students with a PVC pipe. (Representational Image)

THE Wife of a Thane-based school trustee was arrested by the Thane city police on Friday morning for allegedly beating around 10 children. She got bail from the court on Friday evening, even as parents gathered at the school to accost the trustee and his wife and seek an apology from them. Meanwhile, the Mumbai division Education Assistant Deputy Director has issued a letter to the Thane education officer to appoint an administrator for the school.

On Friday, Thane city police arrested Shilpa Gautam, wife of the school’s trustee Aashish Gautam, for allegedly beating around 10 students with a PVC pipe. “The parents complained that their children were brutally beaten up and had suffered serious injuries. So, we registered a case and arrested her,” said senior inspector Mandar Dharmadhikari. Gautam was later granted bail from a magistrate’s court in Thane. Parents of the children had gathered at the school but the Gautams never visited their residence or offered an apology.

“We have been waiting since morning. We need an answer and a written apology from them. We can’t send our children to the school knowing something like this can happen again,” said a parent, Bindu Jain, whose 14-year-old daughter allegedly suffered a fracture in her wrist. On Wednesday, the children were practising for the school’s annual day to be held on February 28. “According to the complainant, the accused was enraged as the children were making a lot of noise, and it disturbed her sleep. This is what made her punish them,” Dharmadhikari said. The police registered an offense late on Thursday night, and arrested Gautam on Friday morning.

The education department sprung into action after the issue was brought to their notice by a Thane based NGO, Thane Matdata Jagran Abhiyan, which wrote a letter to the education office on Thursday evening.

In a letter to the Thane education officer, the divisional assistant deputy director Rajendra Ahire said, “In view of such events, we appeal to you through this letter to appoint an administrator at the school and take away the powers of the trustees.” The letter further reads, “Due to the seriousness of the matter, immediate action should be initiated and intimated to this office and other parties.”

The parents have decided to return on Tuesday along with their children. “Since the coming three days are holidays for the school, we will come back the next working day. We hope the trustee will speak to us,” Jain said.

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