A private school principal in Vijayapura, near Devanahalli, was arrested on Thursday after allegedly caning a Class 5 student, leaving visible injury marks on the girl’s legs and hands.
The accused, Usha Kiran, principal of Wisdom English School, was booked under the Juvenile Justice Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 115 for voluntarily causing hurt. The incident took place on Wednesday, and a complaint was filed by the girl’s father the same evening with Vijayapura police.
In his statement, the father alleged that Usha Kiran had been forcing students to attend to her specially-abled son, who studies in the same school. When his daughter and another student refused to comply, the principal allegedly caned them severely.
The girl’s mother also confirmed visible injury marks and said when she confronted the school, teachers had no explanation for the incident. “We were shocked and demanded to know why our daughter was beaten, but no one responded responsibly,” she said.
Before her arrest, Usha Kiran admitted to the act in a media interaction. She explained that some students were discriminating against a specially-abled child, and she lost her temper. “I realise now it was my mistake. I should have informed the parents instead of reacting that way,” she said, acknowledging that she never consulted the parents beforehand.
The school and education department authorities are expected to take further disciplinary action, and the case has reignited the debate on corporal punishment in schools, despite clear legal prohibitions.