STUDENT ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTED BY PRINCIPAL

"Not even paid school fees but shouting here"
Principal of International College
taken into custody for causing hurt to student's ear"

   Principal of an International College who had dealt a blow to a 12 year old student in the college causing damage to his ear-drum had been taken into custody by the police and having been produced in Courts yesterday has been released on a personal bond of 10 lakhs.
   This incident was reported from St.Nicholas' International College situated in Ward Place, Colombo 7. The suspected principal is Mr.Jude Leonard Niranjan Fernando.
   A tremendous noise of disturbance had been heard coming from the direction of a classroom of grade 6 during school hours and in this instance a lady teacher who had been conducting a class in an adjoining classroom had complained to the principal saying that though she had advised those students, it has been to no avail. She had then approached the principal and requested him to take steps to solve the problem as she had said that she is unable to continue with her teaching.
   At this point the principal who had hastened towards the said classroom, on entering had dealt a severe blow to Ashen Sadipa de Silva, a 12 year old student. It was reported that as a result of this assault the boy had knocked on the body of another student and fallen on the floor. The victim who described the incident said that at the time the principal came, he was in conversation with a group of friends. The principal who rushed in had shouted "Ashen, you have not paid school fees even and is shouting here." So saying he had dealt a severe blow on his right ear, twice.On receiving the second blow he had felt that he could hear no more from that ear and had fallen on top of another student.
   The student who received injuries was later admitted for treatment to a private hospital by his mother. However, he had not been able to hear from his right ear any further. 
   It was after this that the mother of Ashen Sadipa's mother Sujeewa de Silva had reported the incident to the Child Protection Authority. The report issued by a judicial officer subsequent to examination of the student said that his ear drum of the right ear has been damaged. Doctors have said that they would try to bring back Ashen's condition to normal after about a fortnight's treatment. The principal had been taken into custody after the incident by the police. What he says is that he had received a number of complaints about students in this particular classroom and therefore had become a little aggrressive, but that he did not wilfully assault the student concerned. However, he had not mentioned anything about the student not paying school fees which he is supposed to have said at the time of the assault. He was released on a personal bond of 10 lakhs at the Courts on orders that he should present himself at the Child Protection Authority every week. Further inquiry into the incident would be conducted in the future.