A Class 4 student was allegedly beaten by his school’s teacher and principal after he passed a handwritten note saying ‘I love you’ to a girl in his class in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
However, as the girl remained distressed, the matter was taken up with the principal – who called the boy’s mother. Refuting the physical assault allegations, Maurya stated that CCTV footage shows the boy leaving the administrative office in healthy condition and running through the hallways. The school director further levied serious counter-allegations against the boy’s family, claiming they attempted to extort money under threat of police action. He stated that while the school offered to waive the child’s tuition fees to protect the institution’s reputation, the boy’s family refused. Police noted that while preliminary medical checks showed no major physical injuries, officials are collecting CCTV footage, examining school records, and recording statements from witnesses and students to determine the facts of the case.
The incident took place on September 19, when the girl handed her teacher the note, saying that it had been tossed at her by the boy.
The girl was crying and complained of persistent teasing and harassment by a group of boys during school hours, according to school accounts. The director of the Bright English School, Indrajit Maurya, said that the teacher – identified as Seema Goswami – initially tore the note, reprimanded the young boy and counselled him. “The claim that he was beaten black and blue is entirely false,” Maurya said, adding that the school has nevertheless suspended teacher Goswami pending a full investigation to ensure transparency. “They initially demanded 25 lakhs to settle the matter without going to the police, which was later brought down to 5 lakhs,” Maurya alleged.
