Students detain teacher

MALDA, Dec. 11: Students of the Malda Model Madrasa in English Bazaar town today confined the headmaster to a school room in protest against alleged financial irregularities concerning development funds. Inspired by a section of the madrasa teachers, the students staged an agitation against the headmaster shouting slogans against him and accusing him of misappropriating funds granted by the government. The helpless headmaster informed the police and the district inspector of schools (secondary). The police rescued the headmaster Mohammad Syed in the end. Later in the day, the English Bazaar block development officer, sabhapati English Bazaar panchayat samiti , police officials, members of the madrasa's managing committee and a section of teachers held a meeting to sort out the problem. Mohammad Syed, the headmaster later, said: “The students are innocent. They did not want to attack me. They were instigated by a group of teachers, who have some grievance over remuneration received from the Railway authorities for working as invigilators for its competitive examinations recently.”Stating that he was out of town, the district inspector of schools Mr Chinmay Sarkar said that he would go to the madrasa in the evening to inquire into the incident.A group of teachers, however, alleged that the headmaster allotted the madrasa's hostel rooms for some outsiders appearing in a railway examination, which has raised questions against utilisation of funds earmarked for the institution.SNS