Sundargarh: Tension prevailed in Sundargarh district after villagers allegedly assaulted a residential school headmaster and paraded him with a garland of shoes over accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards women.
The incident took place at Khajurdihi village under Koida police limits, where Rahit Kumar Ray, the in-charge headmaster of a residential school, was allegedly beaten by a group of villagers on Saturday. According to reports, the villagers accused him of repeatedly making sexual advances towards women in the village.
During the incident, some villagers, including women, reportedly placed a garland of shoes around Ray’s neck and paraded him through the village following a decision taken by a kangaroo court.
After receiving information about the situation, police rushed to the spot and rescued the headmaster from the mob. Based on a complaint lodged by Ray, four villagers have been arrested in connection with the assault and were later produced before a local court.
Meanwhile, villagers claimed that the headmaster had been involved in inappropriate behaviour with several women in the village. They also alleged that he had developed an extramarital relationship with the cook of the residential school and pressured her to leave her husband and their three children. He was also accused of threatening the woman’s husband.
Locals further claimed that Ray had previously faced arrest over allegations of sexual misconduct. Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and the allegations made by the villagers.
