Meerut school headmaster, teacher suspended after Class 5 girl locked inside

A Class 5 girl was found locked inside a classroom at a government primary school in Meerut after school hours. The incident triggered suspensions, warnings and a wider enquiry into glaring safety lapses.A Class 5 student was found locked inside a classroom after school hours (File Photo for Representation)A headmaster and an assistant teacher of a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district have been suspended after a Class 5 student was found locked inside a classroom after school hours, officials said on Tuesday.District Basic Shiksha Adhikari Asha Chaudhary ordered the immediate suspension of headmaster Rajeev Kumar and assistant teacher Umesh Kumar. She also directed that adverse entries be made in the service records of three assistant teachers and issued them strict warnings.According to the suspension order, the incident took place on July 25 at Primary School Bahadurpur No. 1 in Sarurpur block, when the student remained inside the classroom after the school closed and the room was locked. The girl was later rescued safely after the chairman of the village education committee got the classroom unlocked.After the incident, the student's grandmother alleged negligence by the school staff, following which an enquiry was ordered on the directions of the district magistrate. The enquiry found that the headmaster had left before the school closed and had verbally handed over charge to the assistant teacher. It also found that the staff had not followed the government directive requiring teachers to remain in the school for 30 minutes after classes. The report further said that the classrooms were not physically checked before the school was locked and that students had been asked to lock the classrooms, which led to the girl being left inside. The enquiry described the incident as a serious administrative and safety lapse. The BSA has ordered departmental disciplinary proceedings against the suspended teachers, while a separate departmental inquiry into the incident is underway.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 28, 2026 23:59 IST