A government school headmaster, who was under probe for allegedly harassing a woman teacher, thrashed an education officer with a belt inside the latter's office in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district.
The incident took place in the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) office in Sitapur on Tuesday evening. A video of the incident quickly went viral on social media, showing the violence unfold.
The accused, identified as Brijendra Kumar Verma, headmaster of a primary school in Nadwa Visheshwarganj, Mahmudabad block, had come to the BSA office to submit his clarification regarding complaints filed against him by a woman teacher. Eyewitnesses said that BSA Akhilesh Pratap Singh was not satisfied with Verma’s explanation, which escalated into a heated verbal exchange, The Times of India reported.
Verma allegedly slammed a file onto the officer’s desk, took out his belt, and struck Singh multiple times. Within a few seconds, Singh was hit at least five times.
When Singh tried to call the police, Verma allegedly snatched his mobile phone and smashed it. He also tore up government records and scuffled with clerk Prem Shankar Maurya, who tried to intervene.
CCTV footage of the office shows staff rushing in to rescue the BSA as panic spread. Police were called immediately, and Verma was taken into custody on the spot.
Station in-charge Anup Shukla confirmed that key evidence, including the broken phone, torn files, and the belt used in the assault, has been seized. “Based on the BSA’s complaint and preliminary findings, further legal action will be initiated, and a case will be registered under relevant sections,” Shukla was quoted by TOI as saying.
The BSA was sent for medical examination to assess the extent of his injuries. In his complaint, Singh described the attack as “a premeditated attempt on my life” and demanded strict action.
Accused’s side
While in police custody, Brijendra Verma claimed that he was being harassed by the BSA over disputes involving a woman teacher. He said, “The argument escalated during the clarification, and both sides ended up in a scuffle.”
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