Class 12 student slaps teacher over late-arrival reprimand in Gujarat’s Panchmahal

A Class 12 student in Panchmahal, Gujarat, allegedly slapped a woman invigilator after being reprimanded for arriving late to a preliminary exam. The incident, captured on CCTV, went viral and triggered public outrage.

Panchmahal (Gujarat): A mild reprimand for arriving late for a Class 12 preliminary test triggered an outburst of anger in a student who allegedly slapped the woman invigilator, for “daring” to question his behaviour in Panchmahal district.

Later, the student returned to the premises of the school with his father and a group of people, and allegedly threatened to harm the teacher who lives alone, police said.

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Amid an outrage after CCTV footage of the January 24 slapping incident went viral, police paraded the accused in public, an official said.

Police Inspector Ankur Chaudhary, however, said the police “reconstructed” the crime to understand the sequence of events, leading to the incident which occurred on January 24 at S.J. Dave High School in Shehra town, Panchmahal district. An FIR was registered on February 3.

The 18-year-old was subsequently arrested and produced in a court, which released him on bail on Friday, said Chaudhary.

Police said the student, identified as Mohammed Khan Ansari, reported late for the second preliminary test for class 12 on January 24. When the female invigilator questioned the reason, he allegedly retorted, saying, “No one asks me anything at home, so who are you to question me? He slapped the teacher on her cheek, pushed her, and fled the classroom.

The incident was captured on a CCTV camera, police said, adding that the father of the accused apologised to the teacher and the in-charge principal, Vipul Pathak, on the same day.

However, on January 27, the student returned to the school premises along with his father and a group of 15 to 20 people. He allegedly told the teacher that she lived alone in the town and threatened to harm her, police said.

The accused claimed he had visited the school with his companions to apologise to the teacher and the school staff.

Further investigation is being conducted.