PANIPAT, Sept. 29 — A private school in Panipat was shut down after a shocking video emerged showing a seven-year-old boy being hung upside down from a window and beaten inside the premises. Police have arrested the school principal and a cab driver in connection with the case, officials said Monday.
The incident, which took place on August 13 at Srijan Public School in Virat Nagar, came to light only after the child’s parents saw the video circulating on social media this weekend. In the footage, the boy, a Class II student, is seen with his legs tied with a rope and suspended from a window in his school uniform. Another clip shows the principal slapping two students in front of their classmates.
The child’s mother said her son told her that “Ajay uncle,” a school cab driver, had hung him upside down, slapped him, recorded the act and uploaded the video online. The parents filed a complaint with Model Town police on Saturday, following which a case was registered against the driver, identified as Ajay.
Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh confirmed the arrest, saying, “A case has been registered against the driver under various sections of the BNS. I have directed officers to investigate the matter thoroughly.”
Police said the child’s parents, the victim and the principal were taken to the school on Sunday for an inspection of the site. The boy’s mother alleged that when she and the principal confronted Ajay at his home on Refinery Road, he sent some youths to intimidate them.
Principal Reena, who has also been arrested, claimed she was unaware of the videos. She admitted that Ajay had misbehaved with children and said he was fired on August 30 after repeated complaints from parents. On the video showing her slapping students, she explained that the boys had misbehaved with a girl and their parents had been informed.
The Education Department issued a notice to the school and ordered its closure after the incident drew widespread condemnation. Officials said the safety and well-being of students cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
