Polytechnic teacher accused of misbehaving with students

KURSEONG : Protesting against a teacher’s rude behaviour, students of the Darjeeling Polytechnic Institute in Kurseong demonstrated outside the Kurseong police station for several hours. The situation turned quite tense for a while when a confrontation with the police seemed imminent. DPI students’ union general secretary Devendra Limbu said in order to convey an important message to the students regarding the institution’s T-shirt, the union had taken permission from a DPI authority and entered a classroom where an internal test of 1st year students was going on. But as Limbu and his associate Ranjan Sarki entered the classroom, institute teacher Dhurba Jung Tiwari allegedly misbehaved with them. Limbu claimed this is not the first time that Tiwari has ill-treated students of the institute. Having had enough, Limbu led some students and filed a complaint with the Kurseong police station against the teacher. 

He added instead of taking stern action against Tiwari, the police treated him as an honoured guest while they treated the students as though they were criminals. Hence, the students decided they would not leave the police station unless the police take stern action against the teacher. The angry students shouted slogans against Tiwari after which a heated argument ensued between them and the police. Eventually, Kurseong SDPO CB Subba intervened and calmed the situation and the students lifted their demonstration. Kurseong IC Moloy Majumdar said Tiwari first entered the police station with a complaint against some DPI students, but he was soon followed by the students who started agitating all of a sudden. Majumdar further said the police have received complaints from both parties. As the principal of the institute is out of station and will be back only on Monday, the police will meet him and discuss the matter after a proper investigation, said the officer. He added as the incident occurred within the DPI premises, the police cannot take any action in his absence.