Tamil Nadu teacher fatally stabbed in school, violence erupts; assailant detained

NEW DELHI: In a shocking incident, a woman teacher was fatally stabbed on government school premises in Mallipattinam in the district by a youth, leading to some tense moments in the educational institution, police said on Wednesday. The youth, who was later detained, repeatedly stabbed the teacher in full view of her colleagues at the school’s staff room, they said.

The incident evoked the spontaneous ire of the locals and Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi strongly condemned the attack on the teacher Ramani, of Mallipattanam Government Higher Secondary School, Thanjavur district. “Violence against teachers cannot be tolerated. Strict legal action will be taken against the attacker. We express our deepest condolences to the bereaved family, students and fellow teachers of teacher Ramani,” the Minister said on the social media platform X, shortly after the incident occurred.

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The police claimed personal reason to be the motive behind the murderous attack. The teacher was rushed to the government hospital here, but was declared brought dead by the doctors. Describing her death as a "huge loss" for the teaching community, Poyyamozhi told reporters in Chennai that the man responsible for her murder has been arrested. Chief Minister M K Stalin has asked him to visit Thanjavur and console the bereaved family, the Minister said. “I have asked the district collector to declare a holiday for the school today and take steps to provide counselling to the students,” Poyyamozhi said.

Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the murder and said the incident had exposed that government teachers and doctors lacked safety and security at their workplaces. “The DMK government has failed to maintain law and order. Murders and other crimes have become very common in Tamil Nadu. At least now the Chief Minister should devote his attention to maintaining law and order in the state,” Palaniswami said in a post on social media platform X.