Saturday, January 10, 2009

Dacoits attack Raiganj School

Jan 5, 2008

Armed dacoits attaked the guard of St. Xavier's School in Raiganj, a premier educational institution in the Diocese of Raiganj and escaped with cash worth about 70,000 rupees. 

On the night of 4 Jan, at about 1.30 a.m (5th morning), a group of seven / eight armed men with guns, swords and rods sneaked into the compound of St. Xavier's School, and then they attacked the night-guard, sliting the palm of his right hand and vandalizing the office rooms of the Principal, Fr. Varghese Palli S.J., the office of Vice-Principal Fr. Chandran S.J., the canteen and the stationary rooms of the school.  The miscreants took away the money that had been kept for the payment of teachers on the 5th Jan, Monday, the day on which the scho
ol was to reopen after the Christmas Vacation.

The night guard woke up the fathers at 3.15 am after the dacoits had ran away with the money, leaving him with his hands tied behind. It is only after the night guard reached the residence of the fathers they realized the immensity of the problem. The District Superintendent of Police was immediately informed and a large contingent of police force was placed to investigate the dacoity. In the same afternoon sniffer dogs were brought from Siliguri, and on Wednesday, 7 Jan, forensic experts from Kolkata arrived in St. Xavier's school to collect more evidences and finger-prints. (In picture : the room of the Pricipal)

One of the guards of the school had been detained for couple of days for enquiry, and he has been released. No other person has been arrested so far. 

The school serves over 1,300 children of the Raiganj town and other nearby villages and towns. The exams scheduled for 5 Jan have been postponed. 

Since the office of the District Superintendent of Police is hardly two kilometers away from the school, the incident has raised quite a few eye-brows.


2 comments:

Shaoli said...

it was really a sad incident that took place. hope it will never happen again

sarat said...

really sad