Student’s death: headmistress removed

The headmistress of the St. Marys High School, Vattayal, where a 12-year-old student, Fathima, was electrocuted on Wednesday, has been suspended pending enquiry by the Corporate Management of Schools of the Diocese of Alappuzha.

The school is one among those managed by the Alappuzha diocese of the Latin Catholic Church here.

According to a press release issued by Corporate Manager Fr. Xavier Kudiyamssery, the headmistress Letitia was being suspended till further enquiries following the allegations that the tragic incident had occurred because of dereliction of duty by school authorities.

A committee had also been set up under the leadership of local manager Fr. Stephen J. Punnackal to take adequate steps to ensure the safety of the students.

All local managers and principals of all the schools under the diocese had also been instructed to submit a report within 48 hours on the arrangement of security and safety measures for students, Fr. Kudiyamssery said.

In a separate release issued by Alappuzha Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil, the diocese expressed its condolences to the student’s family.

Calling for the cooperation of the public to re-open the school and to continue classes in a peaceful atmosphere, the Bishop said proper enquiries would be conducted to find out whether the incident was the result of the carelessness of any particular person and that appropriate action would be taken.