An incident has been reported from Kantale, where the principal of Agrabodhi Vidyalaya allegedly brutally assaulted several Grade 9 students for eating their meals outside the classroom.
The incident occurred on July 28. According to reports, a student named Nisel Nekawiru had brought his breakfast to school in a lunch sheet. His class teacher later called his mother, informing her that the principal had objected to this and asked her to come to school. The teacher advised the mother not to send food in a lunch sheet in the future, after which the mother returned home, and Nisel completed his school day as usual.
However, after returning home, Nisel took painkillers and went to sleep. Upon waking, he complained of pain in his head, left ear, and neck. When questioned, he revealed that he had been beaten by the principal earlier that day.
According to further details, during a break, a friend of Nisel from another class had asked for some food. Since there was no teacher in the classroom, Since there was no teacher in their class, including the student who had asked for the food. they came outside the class with five other friends and ate the food. The class teacher then brought them back inside, but soon after, the principal arrived and allegedly beat the students using his hands and feet.
The students were then taken back to the place where they had eaten and forced to kneel. The principal reportedly demanded to know who had brought the food. When they refused to answer, he allegedly slapped another student named Sihiniya, prompting the group to reveal Nisel’s name.
The principal then called Nisel and another student forward and allegedly slapped Nisel on the cheek. When Nisel tried to protect himself, the principal grabbed him by the shirt pocket and struck him again on the cheek and ear.
Following this, the students were made to kneel while photographs were taken. The principal also ordered a Grade 11 student to bring a stick for further punishment, but the arrival of an officer from the zonal education office prevented any additional assault.
It is further alleged that the students were coerced into writing statements falsely claiming that they had ate food in free period.
After the incident, Nisel’s mother admitted him to Seruwawila District Hospital, and later he was transferred to Trincomalee Hospital for further treatment. A doctor who examined him warned that although his ear was not bleeding, it could become infected if exposed to water.
The mother has since filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regarding the incident.
