A government school principle in Assam’s Nagaon district was arrested on Saturday for allegedly folding the national flag using her legs, in violation of flag protocol. The incident occurred on the campus of Gopinath Dev Goswami High School in the Samaguri area.

The accused, Fatema Khatun, was seen in a video placing the tricolour under her foot and attempting to fold it using her knees after lowering the flag. She had reportedly visited the school alone on Saturday morning, a day after the flag-lowering ceremony should have taken place on Friday evening following Independence Day.

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Police arrested Khatun under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. She was produced before the Nagaon Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court, which remanded her to 14 days of judicial custody.

Khatowal Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sanjib Bora confirmed that Khatun lowered the flag in an “objectionable manner,” prompting legal action.

"She had hoisted the flag in the presence of students on August 15 (Independence Day), but on Saturday she came alone at around 7:30 am, opened the school gate, and lowered the flag, after locals in the area had criticised her for keeping the national flag hoisted on Friday night," the police said, according to the TOI report. 

Police added that she arrived at the school early, before the students, because the school authorities had forgotten to lower the national flag on Friday, leading to criticism from local villagers. 

She found herself in a difficult situation when locals gathered near the school to protest what they saw as disrespect to the national flag at the government-run institution. Khatun told reporters that the school currently has no fourth-grade staff, and the task of lowering the flag had been assigned to a clerk on Friday.

Khatun explained that the lapse occurred because the clerk assigned to lower the flag did not arrive on time. She also mentioned that the grade-four employee, who normally handles the task, was on medical leave. 

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A senior citizen from the area noted that the headmistress rushed to the school after locals criticized the school authorities for disrespecting the national flag. In line with government regulations, the Nagaon inspector of schools has issued a show-cause notice to Khatun regarding the incident. Officials from the state education department stated that she may face suspension for negligence of duty and for bringing dishonour to the national flag.