Students, parents hold principal hostage; many detained

A group of 50 girl students and some of their parents on Tuesday allegedly held the principal of a Delhi government school hostage for over two hours accusing her of failing them “deliberately” in supplementary examinations, police said. “We have detained several people, arrests will be made soon,” said a senior police officer of the North-east district.

Police had to lathi-charge to disperse the students and free the principal. According to police, the two-hour-long protest by the students began around noon on Tuesday after a few girls of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Yamuna Vihar area of North-east Delhi found they had failed in their supplementary examinations. They allegedly held  the principal hostage accusing the teachers of giving them low marks. 

The protest later turned violent after the students allegedly started pelting stones at the principal’s office and at her vehicle. The police then lathi-charged the protestors and detained several people belonging to the families of the students on charges under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code following a complaint by the school principal.

“We are investigating the matter. We have detained several people. Arrests will be made as per the provision of the law for attacking the principal’s office and damaging property,” said a senior police officer.