School Girl 'gagged' for 4 hours at school

HYDERABAD: In an alleged incident of corporal punishment, a Class 9 student’s mouth was reportedly plastered by the school authorities between 10.30 am and 2.30 pm on Wednesday. The punishment was meted out to her as she was ‘caught’ talking to her classmate by the school principal, her father alleged.

The victim, Syeda Sadaf Fatima, aged around 14 years, is a student of Sam British High School, Noorkhan Bazaar. Sources said that after the principal Afroze Mazher caught her talking, she instructed the class teacher Sajida Begum to plaster Sadaf’s mouth. Soon after the school got over, Sadaf reportedly went home crying and complained to her parents about the inhuman treatment meted out to her by the school authorities.
Her father Syed Mujtaba lodged complaint with the Dabeerpura police station. Sadaf could not even eat her lunch, her family members alleged. Subsequently, Afroze Mazher was taken into custody and a case under Section 341 and 323 (wrongful restraint and assault or criminal force on the girl student). Y Rajasekhar, inspector, Dabeerpura said that the investigation is on and based on the inquiry, action would be initiated. But the school authorities blatantly denied that they had given any such a punishment. “It is totally wrong. We are being blackmailed by the girl’s father. They have threatened to shut down our school,” Afroze Mazher