Rohtas: Five teachers, including two women, have been suspended after allegations that prohibited meat was found on the premises of a government school in eastern India triggered protests and a police response.
The incident took place at Ramudiha Urdu Middle School in Rajpur block of Rohtas district, where local residents gathered on Wednesday and staged demonstrations inside the school campus, raising slogans against staff members. The situation escalated quickly, prompting police from multiple stations, along with senior administrative officials, to be deployed to the site.
Authorities said tensions rose further after a video allegedly showing the meat circulated on social media. Officials have not verified the authenticity of the footage.
According to police, residents claimed they were informed that banned meat had been brought onto the school premises, which they said hurt religious sentiments. “The matter is under investigation. Action will be taken as per instructions from senior officials,” said Anshu Mala, the local station house officer.
Following the unrest, the sub-divisional magistrate of Bikramganj also reached the school to assess the situation. Police later took five teachers to the station for questioning as crowds continued to gather outside the campus.
Rohtas district magistrate Udita Singh and superintendent of police Raushan Kumar visited the school later in the day, assuring a thorough inquiry. The superintendent said forensic experts had been asked to examine the meat sample to determine its nature. “Only after the FSL report will it be clear what kind of meat it is,” he said.
In an official order, district education officer Madan Rai said the suspension was carried out after preliminary verification of complaints. The suspended staff include acting headteacher Akhtar Ali, teachers Imran, Sufiya Khatoon, Hina Kausar, and Anwar Khan.
Authorities have also temporarily reassigned two additional teachers to other schools on administrative grounds. To ensure that students’ education is not disrupted, five replacement teachers have been deployed to the school.
Officials said normalcy was being restored in the area, while the investigation continues.
