The district education officer (DEO) of Ahmedabad city was in for an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday morning when he arrived at The Islamic School to investigate abuse of six-year old Esha Sheikh (name changed).

DEO RI Patel arrived at the school at 9.55 am and was allowed to enter the school only at 10:05 am after the school authorities were informed that he was the DEO, Ahmedabad city.

Patel said, “I have checked the documents and have come to the conclusion that it is a kind of religious school or madrassa. It is not state or centrally recognised. However, a report on its documents will be submitted.”

He added that, “We will take action against the trust members as the school has been found using books of the state textbook department. I cannot take any other action.”

After conducting the inquiry, if the trust, principal and teachers are found guilty, then a three-day notice will be given to shut down the school, said Patel.

A large gathering of anxious parents awaited DEO at the gate, when he came out after one-and-a-half-hour long meeting with the school authorities.

Sabana Maulvi, whose daughter studies in class IIsaid, “Today, my daughter has taken leave fearing that she might go through the same torture as her juniors. She is very scared. I am happy with the school’s education system and teaching methods, but I don’t want Patel and his wife Rihanna, principal of the school, to continue running it. More so, the teacher should also be removed.”

Similar views were expressed by Ummehani Usmanjani whose daughter studies in class III. She said, “I too am happy with the teaching methods but I want those three people removed. My daughter was hit last week on her head with a scale and her head started bleeding. Thankfully, it was not a serious injury but she is still taking medication.”

Cops didn’t press for accused’s remand

Educationists and psychologists consider the Shahpur school incident to be one of the most serious offences a teacher can commit on a student. Yet, Shahpur police not only toned down the entire case but also tried to allegedly help the accused by not asking for her remand.

Zeba Baji, the accused, who was arrested by the Shahpur police late on Monday evening, was released within a few hours after she was produced before the magistrate.

A police source requesting anonymity told DNAthat the juniors have to act as per the instructions ofsenior cops and there were verbal orders not to keep her for 24 hours in the lock-up.

Police inspector, Shahpur police station, SB Gohil said that Zeba was arrested in the night andproduced in the court.

Investigating officer and police sub-inspector, Shahpur police station, KN Rathwa said that the police will start recording the statements of the witnesses and other people connected with the case.

“There are no serious sections in the FIR and the cops are investigating in this direction,” commissioner of police, Ahmedabad city, Sudhir Sinha told DNA.

Sinha added that if it was found that the accused had tried to insult the modesty of the girl, the relevant sections would be added. Sinha also said that according to the orders of the Supreme Court, a woman accused should not be kept in the lock-up. That was why she was produced in the court immediately after the arrest.

Normally, police keep the accused in the lock-up for a few hours and produce him or her before the court within 24 hours of the arrest.

4 school trustees want to return

As police guarded the school to prevent any kind of commotion between school authorities and parents, four members of The Islamic Foundation Trust, under whose aegis The Islamic School operates, said they would like to return to the trust board and register the trust.

These four former trustees are ready to return so that the school runs properly provided Iqbal and his wife are removed from the trust membership.

Kagdi Mohammad Iqbal Gulam Rasool, Mohammad Khan, Bashir Ahmed Nagori and Rasool Khan Pathan were removed from The Islamic Foundation Trust by Iqbal and other trust members in 2005.

“All that we wanted was that the trust be registered under the charitable trust act, which would then help us get the school registered. This was discussed during one of our trust meetings. However, Iqbal and other trust members forced us to step down from the trust membership. But, nothing in writing has been given to us till date,” Kagdi stated.

Bashir added, “Following this we sent complaint letters to the high court, Gujarat state charity commissioner, Gujarat state legal department and vigilance department on November 9, 2005. Currently, the case is pending with the charity commissioner. In all, we were 11 members in the trust. The trustees wanted to remove Rihanna but Iqbal did not allow this.”

The trust was formed in 1982 and the school was built in 1991.

Source : Daily News & Analysis