Students flee to jungle after beating at Palghar school over fetching water; probe ordered
Palghar (PTI): A group of students of a government-run primary school in Maharashtra's Palghar district fled to a jungle after teachers allegedly beat them for failing to fetch water on time, an official said on Thursday.
The education department has launched an inquiry into the incident that occurred at a zilla parishad school in the Jambulmatha area of Jawhar earlier this week, the official said.
The incident has come in the backdrop of the death of a Class 6 student who was allegedly forced to perform 100 sit-ups for arriving late to a school in the district.
Parents of the affected students on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the zilla parishad alleging that the teaching staff had sent students to fetch water from a source located approximately one kilometre away, and beat them when they returned late.
Distressed by the beating, a group of students fled the school premises and sought refuge in a jungle nearby, they claimed, demanding strict action against teachers involved in the incident.
"The zilla parishad has initiated a probe into the allegations, and appropriate action will be taken based on the report. Teams have already gone to the school," said Sonali Matekar, education officer (Primary) of the zilla parishad.
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Snowfall blocks two key roads providing alternative connectivity to Kashmir
Rajouri/Jammu (PTI): Traffic on the Mughal and Sinthan Top roads, which provide alternate connectivity to Kashmir, was temporarily suspended on Sunday due to light to moderate snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
However, traffic on the 270-kilometre Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- was plying as usual despite intermittent rains that ended the over one-and-a-half months long dry spell, they said.
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The Mughal road, which connects the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir's Shopian, was closed for traffic as a precautionary measure after more than three inches of snow was recorded at Peer Ki Gali on Sunday afternoon.
A group of three tea vendors are left stranded on the road and efforts are on to evacuate them to safety, officials said.
After they were trapped in the snow, the vendors made passionate appeals through video messages urging the authorities to rescue them. The Border Roads Organisation has taken up snow clearance work and is trying to reach the stranded persons, officials said.
The Sinthan Top road, which connects Kishtwar and Doda districts in Jammu with south Kashmir's Anantnag, was also closed after moderate snowfall in the higher reaches.
Both the mountainous roads usually remain closed for several months due to heavy snowfall during winter.
