In a barbaric incident, a visually challenged principal of a private school for blind allegedly beat up three visually challenged boys in Kakinada town of Andhra Pradesh, district officials said today.





The incident, which took place two days back, came to light today after local TV channels showed a video footage of the incident in which the principal was purportedly shown "mercilessly" beating up the boys with a stick, they said.



The footage also showed the principal pushing one of the boys to the wall and was seen assisted by another person in the act.



The school principal, identified as Srinivas, and another person, school's secretary K V Rao who assisted in the act, have been arrested based on the complaints by the parents of the students, East Godavari District Collector Neetu Kumar Prasad told PTI over phone.



The district administration has taken over the private school to run it as of now, she said.



Taking note of the incident, the Collector, who along with senior officers visited the school, ordered an inquiry into the incident and the teshildar concerned has been asked to carry out a detailed inquiry and submit a report.



"Once the report is submitted we will take necessary action against those involved in the incident," Kakinada Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) B R Ambedkar.



According to preliminary information, the principal resorted to beating up the students for their "indiscipline" as they played outside the school premises, the RDO said, adding that an inquiry was on.



The principal and the other official of the school, run by a charitable trust, resorted to the act as the students reportedly did not pay heed to their instructions and used to create disturbance in the classes, a police officer attached to Thimmapuram police station told PTI over phone.



The three boys, in the age group of 9-13 years, are students of third and sixth standard of the school and hail from nearby places of East Godavari and Guntur districts, he said.



All the three students were admitted to a nearby hospital this afternoon as they sustained injuries in the incident.



Srinivas and K V Rao have been booked under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) read with section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and on charge of cruelty to juvenile or child under section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, the police officer said.



A group of government officials, including the RDO and District Education Officer Srinivasulu Reddy, were recording the statements of parents and teachers of the school as a part of the inquiry, he added.



Meanwhile, agitated locals barged into the school premises and tried to manhandle the two school officials, however police immediately intervened and shifted them to local police station, Kakinada Rural Circle Inspector P Raju said.



Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that firm action will be taken against those responsible for the incident.



"I am feeling bad (about the incident)...I have directed the police officers to take firm action in connection with the incident. Such incidents should not be repeated," he said.



Meanwhile, District Education Officer (DEO) Srinivasulu Reddy, who visited the school along with other senior officials, said they were undertaking a thorough inquiry into the incident and are also verifying the funding to the charitable institute which has been running the residential school for the visually-challenged.