A teacher was shot dead by a head constable in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, following a confrontation, police said on Monday. The incident occurred outside SD Inter College in the Civil Lines area when the Head Constable Chandra Prakash, stationed in Banaras, was delivering UP Board exam papers to the college with a team.
The confrontation occurred inside a vehicle on Sunday night while waiting for the local SD Inter college gates to open. The deceased, identified as Dharmendra Kumar, was part of a Varanasi education department team that was tasked to transport examination copies for the Uttar Pradesh Board to the college. The team, which also included another teacher and two class four employees, was escorted by a police unit from Varanasi.
Prakash, who was reportedly intoxicated, demanded tobacco from Kumar, who refused due to the late hour. Despite Kumar’s refusal and a complaint to the sub-inspector, Prakash escalated the situation and shot Kumar with his carbine.
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Following the shooting, Kumar was immediately taken to the district hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of his death, police said.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Satyanarain Parjapat confirmed the details of the event, stating that Kumar had a confrontation with head constable Chander Prakash while they were in the vehicle. Prakash shot at Kumar using his service weapon, he added.
Police have detained all individuals who were present in the vehicle for interrogation and a formal case has been filed against the head constable. Further investigation into the case is underway.
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Meanwhile, the incident sparked outrage among the teaching community, leading to a halt in the evaluation process of the UP Board Exam. The teaching fraternity is demanding that the government ensure such incidents are not repeated and provide substantial compensation to the victim's family.
In a display of solidarity, teachers have stopped evaluation work and are staging protests, insisting on a written guarantee from the authorities addressing their demands. These include invoking the National Security Act against the accused, a compensation of Rs 10 crore, a PCS rank job for a family member, and state honours for Kumar’s funeral.
The educators have resolved to continue their protest until all their demands are met, bringing the UP Board’s evaluation process to a standstill.