Class XII student shoots principal dead, arrested

chhatrpur: A Class XII student allegedly shot dead the principal of his school in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur district on Friday afternoon after being admonished, the police said.

The 17-year-old boy fled on the principal’s scooter after the incident that took place around 1:30 pm but was nabbed within a few hours, said inspector Pushpendra Yadav of Orchha Road police station.

He was traced near the district’s border with Uttar Pradesh, the official said, adding that the accused was known for wayward behaviour at school. The weapon used for the killing was also seized from him, Yadav added.

The teenager allegedly shot principal SK Saxena (55) in the head with a locally-made pistol near the toilet at Dhamora Government High School, said Superintendent of Police Agam Jain, adding that the victim died on the spot.

Jain said the accused had not come to school on Friday and Saxena had spotted him at the school gate while the latter was about to go somewhere.

The principal admonished him, following which the accused allegedly committed the crime, Jain added.

“The accused was not in a school uniform. He did not enter deep into the campus. The toilet, where he shot Saxena, is near the main gate. The accused might have followed the principal to the toilet and shot him dead. He had tucked the firearm in the waistband of his pants,” the SP informed.

The accused has told the police he acted alone and that the classmate had come to stop him from shooting,

the SP said.