The mob also attacked the private school— Harminder Public School — and smashed its windowpanes and furniture. The mob turned violent when the body of the deceased student, Jatinder Singh, was being taken for cremation. They pelted stones at the house of the Principal, located in the Gandhi Nagar area of the city, and the school. The agitated people also blocked the Jammu-Srinagar and Jammu-Pathankot highway for several hours.
The Principal, Mr Kirtan Singh, was arrested this morning by the police while he was hiding in the house of his relative in a village near the Indo-Pakistan
border. A case has been registered against him.
Jatinder Singh, a Class IX student, was beaten up and insulted by the Principal as he had failed to pay the school fee. To make matters worse, he was not allowed to sit in the examination too.
Residents of the Digiana area, where Jatinder Singh resided, said the deceased’s parents had migrated to Jammu from Kashmir due to terrorism and their financial position was not very sound.
The boy’s father, Mr Gurbachan Singh, had told the Principal that he would clear the dues of about Rs 700 in installments as he was not in a position to pay the entire money in one go.
However, the Principal continued to harass the boy, thus driving him to commit suicide.
The Education Department has initiated an enquiry into the functioning of the school and the police also said it would recommend withdrawal of recognition to the school.
The ABVP organised a boycott of classes by college and school students to protest against the incident. They took out a procession in the city.
