Why a private school in Tripura is drawing the ire of student bodies

Agartala: Several student organisations in Tripura have launched protests against Bhavan’s Tripura Vidyamandir School, one of the state’s prominent private educational institutions, over allegations involving a former teacher and a minor student.

The controversy surfaced after activists affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the school on Tuesday, accusing the administration of attempting to shield a teacher accused of sexually abusing a female student.

The protesters described the incident as deeply disturbing and said it had damaged the trust and dignity traditionally associated with teacher-student relationships.

According to ABVP activists, the school administration allegedly tried to suppress the matter despite audio clips and voice notes related to the allegations circulating on social media.

“This cannot be tolerated in any school. We have credible information regarding the incident. After the audio clips and voice notes surfaced online, the school authorities allegedly attempted to cover up the matter,” one protester alleged.

The protesters also claimed that the school principal initially refused to meet them but later held discussions with student representatives following the demonstrations. However, ABVP leaders did not disclose details of the meeting.

A day after the protest, a delegation from the Tripura Commission for Protection of Child Rights, led by Chairperson Jayanti Debbarma, visited the school and held discussions with the administration.

While the Commission did not publicly comment on the allegations, school principal Swapna Shome addressed the media after the meeting.

Shome said the allegations concern a teacher who had already resigned from the school on April 29. According to her, no formal complaints had been received against him during his tenure.

She stated that after accepting his resignation, several teachers later informed the administration about the alleged incident. She also said the school lacked concrete evidence to take action at that stage.

Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the opposition CPI(M), submitted a memorandum to the Directorate of School Education seeking intervention in the matter.

SFI state secretary Srijan Deb described the allegations as serious and disgraceful, adding that the issue reflected broader concerns regarding the state’s education system.

“The incident should not be viewed in isolation. It reflects the steady deterioration of the education system that we have been witnessing over the years,” Deb said, demanding action against both the accused teacher and the institution if lapses are established.

Police, however, said no formal complaint has been registered so far.

Officer-in-Charge of Airport Police Station, Sushanta Deb, confirmed that authorities were aware of the protests but stated that no case related to the allegations had been filed with the police station.

According to local sources, the accused teacher had been living in a rented apartment in Ushabazar on the outskirts of Agartala and had allegedly developed a close association with the student during his employment at the school.

While some student organisations accused the teacher of sexual assault, other local accounts claimed the two were allegedly in a relationship. Allegations have also surfaced that the student became pregnant, further intensifying public outrage surrounding the case.

EastMojo could not independently verify these claims.

Sources also claimed that the teacher has since joined another private school in the state catering exclusively to male students.

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