Keonjhar: A schoolteacher of Pitatangara Upper Primary School in the district was suspended on Monday after a video of him mercilessly thrashing students went viral.
In the video, the teacher, identified as Rati Narayan Rout, was seen caning the students, including girls, after making them to kneel down on the school verandah for reportedly having failed to answer a question.
Rout clarified that he had to resort to caning as students were not concentrating on studies despite several warnings.
After the incident to light, the District Education Officer (DEO) Kapilendra Mishra asked the block education officer to conduct a probe, following which he was placed under suspension.
Notably, there is a ban on corporal punishment in all state-run and private schools since 2004.
