A few months before Zilla Parishad Primary School at Katpur in Maharashtra’s Latur district closed for summer vacation, Pandurang Mhaske and other members of the school management committee had asked the headmaster, Jaleel Khan Pathan, to seek a transfer as he seemed to be distracted.
“We thought there were some issues at his home that prevented him from paying attention to his classes or duties. But when the news about his arrest came, the entire village could not believe it at first. He was a thorough gentleman,” said Mhaske.
With Pathan in police custody, the village located barely 10 km from Latur city is concerned about the infamy his arrest has brought to the school where he had been the headmaster since 2017.
Pathan was one of the four people arrested in Maharashtra late on Monday for their alleged roles in the NEET-UG paper leak. The police are investigating his alleged links with similar malpractices in the past.
Mhaske said Pathan was entrusted with the responsibility of Class 7 but he was ill at ease of late.
“Students of his class said he was not teaching properly and we in the school management committee also discussed this. Informally we had asked him to seek transfer if he was facing some problem in the school,” he said. The school has around 120 students studying in classes up to 8.
Mhaske said the midday meal committee called him on Monday evening as the headmaster was not answering calls. “The midday meal committee has to submit reports every day. When I called Pathan, his phone kept on ringing,” he said.
Towards the evening, some acquaintance of Mhaske sent him a video showing Pathan’s arrest.
“This arrest has shaken up the teachers and the parents. Katpur was known for academically brilliant students. We hope to put this incident behind us soon and go ahead,” Mhaske said.
The school has appointed another teacher to don the headmaster’s role.
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