School cuts off student’s braid; Bajrang Dal seeks principal’s arrest

Saki Naka police said Parvesh Dubey (14),a Class VIII student of St Jude’s High School on 90 Feet Road had grown his hair for religious reasons but had been asked to cut it by the school as it was against the rules.

“On Tuesday morning,Parvesh’s class teacher saw that he had not cut the tuft despite repeated warnings and sent him to the principal’s office. The principal,Father Frank Fernandez,picked up a pair of scissors on his desk and snipped off the braid,” said an official of Saki Naka police station.

“My son has weak vision and we had offered prayers to our local deity. As a token we had promised that he would not cut the tuft till his vision is restored. The school authorities have hurt our sentiments by cutting his hair and therefore action should be taken against them,” said Parvesh’s father Shivkumar Dubey.

At the police station,Father Fernandez,in his statement,said any form of ornamentation,including earrings or bindis,is forbidden in the school and he was merely enforcing discipline. “An offence has been registered against Father Fernandez for insulting religious belief but no arrest has been made yet. The matter is still under inquiry,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police N Sherkane.