Agartala, Sept. 2: A girl student of Class IV in Bashpukur Senior Basic School under Sonamura subdivision was beaten up by an assistant teacher and headmaster of the school yesterday for complaining to the panchayat about substandard food being served as midday meals.

Sonamura SDO Anindya Bhattacharya said irregularities in the midday meal programme in Bashpukur had been reported for a long time as some students were being deprived of the meal while others were served substandard food, including curry with rotten eggs.

“On Tuesday, a girl student told panchayat chief Safiq Mia of how she had been denied midday meals for several days and how others were served substandard food. The headmaster, Niranjan Sarkar, and assistant teacher, Kirshna Sarkar, came to know of her complaint yesterday in the morning and beat her up when she arrived for her classes. The girl had to be admitted to hospital and has been released this morning,” Bhattacharya said.

The inspector of schools in the Dhanpur area, Pankar Debbarma, arrived at the school today for an investigation. He held meetings with panchayat members and teachers of the school.

Debbarma was not available for comment but official sources in the inspectorate said unless the matter was amicably settled between the school and the girl’s family, police would have to take action against the guilty teachers.

ISI agent

Additional chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup (metro) district on Thursday remanded suspected ISI agent Munir Khan in seven days’ police custody. Khan, who was caught by Tripura police on July 3 from Agartala, was brought to Guwahati on Thursday.