ES Reporter 

ITANAGAR, Sep 3: In a bizarre incident,  Sangay Lhaden Sports Academy, Chimpu, have rusticated at least  seven students from the academy for allegedly stealing two packets of Nestle Maggi noodles from the hostel canteen.
One of the rusticated student’s mother Metung Loham, today in a press conference, said that the school authorities claimed to have documentary evidence of the crime but failed repeatedly to show the CCTV camera footage where the students are allegedly stealing noodles. She informed that according to the school authorities, the said footages have been misplaced.
She said that the exact date of the alleged incident is also unclear as of now and that the authorities concerned are yet to prove their allegations beyond doubt. Loham informed that the school’s authority has also failed to respond to the Child Welfare Committee, Itanagar Capital Complex’s direction to submit a detailed report.
Claiming that the school authorities also didn’t have any correspondence with them, even once before taking such extreme action against her son and six others, Loham claimed that she came to know of the development in April when she visited the school to collect her son’s class VII (appeared) progress report. But upon reaching, she was asked to collect the Transfer Certificate instead, said Loham.
Pointing out that as per the laid down norms for schools, parents of the students should be called for a meeting before taking such steps by the School Management Committee, Loham said that no such laid down norms were followed.  
She added that only five members were present in the meeting that was held in June over the matter and in the absence of the chairman, sports secretary and other crucial members of the committee.
Regarding other allegations of smoking, coercion and theft of a mobile phone from one of his seniors, against her son, Loham said that she is ready to let her son undergo any medical test to prove that he doesn’t smoke tobacco. As for the theft of a mobile phone, she informed that her son once called her informing that he broke his senior’s mobile phone while it was in his custody. However, the mobile wasn’t stolen by her son which was also admitted by the phone’s owner and that they have already brought a new one in exchange for the damaged one, she said.

In the meantime, Loham questioned the school’s authority whether their school permits boarding students to carry mobile phones in their dorms.
Informing that the AAPSU, governor, chief minister, Education minister, Youth Affairs & Sports minister, chief secretary, ICC deputy commissioner, all have failed her despite bringing the matter to their notice, Loham said that all she wants is a valid reason for her son’s rustication. And if there is none then her son, who was selected from Changlang district after clearing the merit test, should be re-admitted to the academy, she said.  
She added that her son has been wrongly implicated in the alleged noodle theft incident and that now when the matter has come up in public, the school’s authorities are levelling other false allegations against her son.
Also raising apprehension of some corrupt intention behind rusticating the students, Loham claimed that one student, who allegedly is a relative of the academy’s current principal has recently been given admission in 8th standard which is a blatant violation of the academy’s admission norms as they take admission from class six only.   
Meanwhile, office of the Deputy Director of Schools Education, Itanagar Capital Complex had in August constituted a team to inquire over the matter and the team led by the DDSE, ICC in its comprehensive report has upheld the school’s decision while stating that the action taken was to safeguard the integrity of the institution. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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