Kerala principal who kept boy in kennel gets bail

A Kerala court Tuesday granted bail to a private unaided school's woman principal who had kept a six-year-old under-kindergarten student in a kennel.

She had been arrested Monday night.

The court of Thiruvananthapuram First Class Judicial Magistrate granted the bail Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the district administration has for the time being decided to take over the school after numerous complaints against the educational institution surfaced following the episode becoming public.

District collector Biju Prabhakar Tuesday visited the school and found two groups protesting -- one section demanding immediate closure of the school while the other demanding alternate arrangements so their wards can continue studies.

Prabhakar said: "For the time being, we will take over the school as the fate of the children studying here has to be taken care of. Arrangements will be made for their future education."

Education Minister P.K. Abdu Rabb said the school will be closed down, as it lacks proper infrastructure and also does not have the necessary clearances.

Rabb said: "The government will see as to how the children studying here can be accommodated in other schools."

Earlier in the day, an inspection conducted on behalf of the director of public instruction found that the school where 150 students study from play school to Class 7 lacks necessary infrastructure.

Although the incident took place Thursday last, it surfaced Monday when the boy refused to go to school and his sister, a class three student in the same school, asked him the reason.

The boy said on that particular day as he was talking to his classmate, the principal got agitated and locked him in a kennel after driving out the dog.

The boy was let out after three hours.