2 days ago
4 students held for stabbing principal in Hisar
Hansi police on Friday apprehended four students for allegedly stabbing to death a 50-year-old private school principal in Hisar's Bass village after he asked them to get haircuts, dress properly, and follow discipline. Hansi superintendent of police (SP) Amit Yashvardha during a media conference on Friday. (HT Photo)
According to police, the accused boys—aged 15 and 16—are students of Kartar Memorial Senior Secondary School in Bass village, located in Hansi subdivision, about 26 km from Hisar. They attacked principal Jagbir Pannu, a resident of Puthi Saman village, with knives during his morning rounds on Thursday.
Hansi superintendent of police (SP) Amit Yashvardhan said the boys were angry over repeated scoldings from the principal. They were caught on Friday from a bus stand in Mundhal village in Bhiwani district, around 15 km from the school.
'All four were in school uniform at the time of arrest. They were upset because the principal often asked them to trim their hair, keep their shirts tucked in, and avoid drug use. He had earlier warned them not to carry banned items in their school bags. Believing he held a personal grudge, they planned the attack. Two carried out the stabbing, while the other two were involved in the conspiracy,' he said.
Police said the accused took responsibility for the attack and posted it to social media and even threatened to harm Pannu's son next if they were not paid ₹10 lakh. Authorities said the boys would be sent to a safe house by evening.
Teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Pannu had warned the students multiple times about smoking and keeping untrimmed hair, but they ignored his instructions.
'After stabbing the principal, the boys left their school bags in the classroom. A mobile phone and two energy drinks were found in one of the bags,' a police officer added.
School body demands 'safety law' after principal's murder in Hisar, plans statewide protests
A day after a school principal was allegedly murdered by a group of students in Hisar, the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) strongly condemned the incident and called for the enactment of a 'school safety law' to protect teachers and school administrators in Haryana.
In response to the shocking incident, NISA announced statewide protests to press for their demand. The alliance's national president, Kulbhushan Sharma, said the murder has deeply shaken the education community, especially since it occurred on the day of Guru Purnima, a festival dedicated to teachers.
'It is disheartening that neither the state government nor opposition leaders have expressed any condolences over such a grave tragedy,' Sharma said. 'Teachers across the state are now gripped by fear. How can we carry out our duties in such an environment?'
As a mark of protest, member schools of the alliance observed a 'Black Day' by wearing black armbands.
He added that NISA plans to organise demonstrations in every district and submit memorandums to the chief minister through respective deputy commissioners and superintendents of police. The key demand is the implementation of a school safety law to ensure a secure teaching environment.
'Providing a safe space for educators is essential if we want schools to continue contributing meaningfully to the progress of the state and the nation,' Sharma stated.
