Pune: Student suffers facial paralysis after teacher slaps him; latter arrested

The principal said the teacher’s 15-year record was clean and no such complaint ever came to her notice. She, however, said a committee has been constituted to probe the incident will also decide on providing medical aid or compensation to the student.

Pune: A teacher was arrested here for hitting an 11-year-old student in the face and causing him facial paralysis. All this only because the boy could not complete a school assignment.  The dreadful incident took place in October at the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School (SSPMS), a government-aided residential school in Shivajinagar. Sandeep Gade, the teacher, was held last night after the parents learned about the incident and lodged a complaint with the police. "According to the parents, the incident occurred on October 25 before our terminal examinations but we were informed about it only yesterday (Monday). We have suspended the teacher," SSPMS Principal Smita S. Patil told news agency IANS. The principal said the teacher’s 15-year record was clean and no such complaint ever came to her notice. She, however, said a committee has been constituted to probe the incident will also decide on providing medical aid or compensation to the student. The parents said they had gone from Indapur to Shivajinagar on November 3 to pick up their Class VI son for Diwali vacations. They noticed some abnormalities on the left side of his face but did not take it seriously. As days passed, the flaws on the boy's face became prominent and he kept his face covered, reported IANS. Revealing the details of the assault, the boy said he was slapped and his head was banged on a wooden bench for failing to complete a drawing project. His parent rushed him to a hospital in Baramati where the doctors said the boy had suffered facial paralysis. An apologetic Gade said he never intended to hit the boy so hard. “It was completely unintentional. My motive was not to cause him an injury. I have never done anything like this in the past. I totally regret what I have done, please forgive me.”