“A month ago, we found a written paper on the table of principal informing him that they had seen some students discussing plans to kill Kumar and principal Singh. The written word was signed by the name of a ‘Shubchintak’ (well-wisher),” Subhash Yadav, a Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) at the school told ScoopWhoop News.

Apparently, the school authorities didn’t suspect that the students were serious about these plans. 

“We took the issue seriously and informed the School Management Committee. A team was formed to visit the parents’ of the students’ who were mentioned in the note. We told their parents this is what your wards are upto and counselled them. None of us had thought they’ll actually murder their teacher,” Yadav, a member of the above committee, added.

At around 5:10 in the evening on Monday, 50-year-old Hindi teacher Kumar was compiling answer sheets of the students following examinations. Two Class 12 students – whose names were struck off from the school records for continuous low attendance – barged into the room no 108. of the school on first floor where Kumar was busy with the papers.

“Most of the teachers and students had left. I was in Room No 206 when someone informed me that Kumar was stabbed by the students. Nobody was in the class when he was attacked,” Virendra Singh, another teacher told ScoopWhoop News.

According to Singh, the duo was habitual of bunking school after the first class. “Kumar was very student friendly but he emphasised a lot on studies. He along with the principal wanted these students to take their studies seriously, but they had other plans,” he said.

School authorities said the duo had entered the school premises on the pretext of securing school transfer certificates. A CCTV footage shows the duo hurriedly crossing the school’s main corridor after the act.

The duo has been apprehended by the police. One of the accused has been identified as Vivek from West Delhi’s Prem Nagar while as the other accused is a juvenile. Police has also recovered the knife used in the assault.

“Both are class 12 students and are frequent absentees and indisciplined(sic). The victim used to point them out and take steps to correct them and maintain discipline in school. The JCL (juvenile) was rusticated from the school on account of his poor attendance. 

On the fateful day, the duo entered the school and stabbed teacher Mukesh Kumar thrice,” a statement by Joint Commissioner of Police, South Western Range Delhi, Dependra Pathak said.

Kumar, who was rushed to Balaji Action Hospital, Paschim Vihar, had suffered wounds in abdomen and stomach. However, he succumbed to his injuries during the treatment.

A medic at the hospital told ScoopWhoop News that Kumar was also hit by some hard object on his head.

Meanwhile, hundreds of government teachers skipped their duties in protest against Kumar’s murder and demanded better security to teachers. They also demanded a 5-crore compensation to Kumar’s family and government jobs for his children.

“Supreme Court and the government has always voiced against the mistreatment and punishment to the students in schools at the hands of teachers. But it hasn’t said anything on what will teachers do when their students turn into their killers,?” said S Kumar, a teacher.

Feature image source: ScoopWhoop/Safwat Zargar