The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) that conducts the higher secondary examination in the state will probe the assault of teachers by a section of examinees at the Chamagram High School in Kaliachak 3 block of Malda district on Wednesday.

Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya, the WBCHSE president, who inspected some examination centres on Thursday in North Dinajpur, said so far, they had identified seven examinees who had assaulted the teachers at the school while the latter were frisking them before entering the examination hall.

“The process of identifying some other students who were involved in the menace is in progress. The head of the institution from where those students came to Chamagram High School to write their papers has been asked to control his students. He, along with the identified students, would be summoned to Calcutta after the examinations are over,” said Bhattacharya.

“If they are found guilty, their exams would be cancelled. Also, in that case, those students would not be allowed to sit for the HS exams for the next two years,” he added.

While talking to newspersons, the WBCHSE president also assured that additional police forces would be deployed at Chamagram High School from Friday to avert such incidents.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards such undesirable incidents. Soon after I heard it, I spoke to the venue supervisor (headmaster of the school) over the phone. Later, I visited the school and spoke to teachers who sustained injuries. We have assured them that the WBCHSE is with them,” said Bhattacharya.

He said that during frisking, teachers would also check if the examinees carry any chit of papers with them.

So far, three HS examinees, including one each from Jalpaiguri and Malda, have been barred from writing papers so far as they were caught carrying cell phones in the examination venues, he added.

A teacher had said on Wednesday: “Since those students pay hefty fees to private coaching centres, the owners of those centres try to help them score better in the exams by improvising unfair policies. The education department, the boards, and the council should take strong steps to prevent such practices."