Behrampore, May 28: A boy battered his headmaster with a mallet used to sound the school bell today because he got less in the oral exams of the Madarsa Board Madhyamik.

An unconscious Kamiruddin Biswas was taken to a block health centre at Samshergunj in Murshidabad with blood oozing from wounds on his face and in the nose.

Samiruddin Sheikh, who surrendered at the local police station, has been arrested.

Students came to the high madarsa at Housenagar village, about 280 km from Calcutta, this morning to collect mark sheets.

About 20 students were unhappy with their viva voce marks — awarded by the school — and began demonstrating in front of the headmaster’s office.

“Hearing the commotion, I came out and met the students. They blamed me for the poor marks. I tried to tell them I was not responsible for the marks and that I will take up the matter with the board, but they didn’t listen,” the headmaster said.

Samiruddin pulled the wooden hammer from a perch and attacked Biswas.

Additional superintendent Shankar Chakraborty said a school clerk called police.