21 students who assaulted a teacher, released on bail

COLOMBO (News 1st); Twenty-one students who were arrested for assaulting a school teacher in Puttlam were released on bail, subject to strict conditions.

All twenty-one suspects were produced to the Puttlam Magistrate's Court on Friday (26), where the court ordered them to be released on a personal bail of Rs. 500,000/- each per student.

They were also ordered to report to the Puttlam Police on every Sunday after the conclusion of the O/L Exam, and place their signature on the records book.

The court also ordered that if the aggrieved party is threatened in any manner, bail will be revoked and the suspects would be remanded until the conclusion of the case.

Sri Lanka Police on Thursday (25) arrested 17 more students with regard to the incident where a school teacher in Puttlam was assaulted earlier in the week.

Four other students of the Thillayadi Muslim Maha Vidyalaya who had assaulted the school's master in charge of sports and discipline were arrested and remanded until Friday (26).

All students were produced in court on Friday (26).

According to the Police, the students had assaulted the teacher for advising them to groom their hair and beard to suit the school uniform.  

The principal of the school turned back the students involved in the attack when they had visited the school to collect their admission slips for the G.C.E ordinary level exam. He had turned them back after advising them to trim their hair and beard to suit their school attire. 

The students had done so and had arrived at the school once again on Tuesday (23) to obtain their admission slips. 

However, a group of students had opposed the move by blocking the road and ripping apart their school books. 

Thereafter, the students had traveled to the house of the master in charge of discipline at the school, situated in the school's vicinity, and had pelted stones.

H.M.Asky, the Master in Charge of Sports and Discipline who was the victim of the assault, detailed what transpired.

"When I went home, I heard stones being pelted at my gate. When I came out to see who it was, some of the students attacked me. They had stones in their hands. The Principal who had heard of this came to my house and took me to the hospital in a vehicle," he said.