PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
A dispute over an alleged cheating incident during an examination at the government polytechnic in Pitthuwala has led to a controversy after teachers accused a student’s family members of entering the campus and assaulting staff members on Friday. Police have received complaints from both sides and registered a cross complaint, police circle officer (Sadar) Ankit Kandari said.
According to polytechnic officials, the student’s father and maternal uncle are both employed in the Police department, while another person accompanying them is a junior engineer. The student’s father, Mahesh Kandwal, is reportedly a police employee who recently won a medal while representing Uttarakhand Police at a Masters Badminton Championship held in Lucknow.
The matter began on June 4 when two students were allegedly caught copying from each other’s answer sheets during an examination, the polytechnic officials said. The incident was reportedly recorded on CCTV cameras installed in the classroom. Members of the examination committee questioned the students and asked one of them to write an apology. The student was later allowed to continue the examination.
The controversy escalated on the following day when several family members of one of the students allegedly arrived at the institution. Teachers claim that the group entered the control room and started arguing with staff members before allegedly assaulting them. Other teachers who reached the spot were also reportedly pushed and manhandled during the incident.
The polytechnic staff alleged that the group continued creating a disturbance for a considerable time. The police were informed and officers from the local police outpost reached the campus to control the situation. However, teachers have alleged that the accused continued to misbehave even after the police arrived.
Following the incident, teachers and staff members launched a protest inside the polytechnic campus. They are wearing black armbands while performing their duties and have demanded strict legal action against those involved. The staff has said that the protest will continue till appropriate action is taken.
Meanwhile, Kandari said that one party alleged that their son was assaulted during the examination, while the teachers alleged that they were assaulted by the student’s family members.
