Khargone, May 6 — A heated altercation between the principal and the librarian of a tribal residential school in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district escalated into a physical brawl, prompting authorities to suspend both women after a video of the incident surfaced online last week.
The 90-second video, recorded in the corridor of Eklavya Adarsh Awasiya Vidyalaya, shows Principal Praveen Dahiya and Librarian Madhurani engaged in a loud argument.
The dispute quickly turned violent, with the two women slapping each other and pulling each other’s hair. One woman is seen attempting to record the confrontation on her phone before it is snatched and thrown to the ground.
“Aapne mujhe thappad kaise mara?” one of them is heard asking repeatedly, to which the other responds, “Self-defence.” Sources within the school said the clash stemmed from ongoing disagreements over the division of duties between the principal and the librarian.
Superintendent of Police Dharmaraj Meena confirmed that both individuals filed complaints against each other at the Mengaon police station.
“We are recording their statements after receiving their medical reports,” he said.
Following the viral spread of the footage, both women were removed from their positions at the school and temporarily reassigned to the office of the Assistant Commissioner, Tribal Development, in Khargone.
District Collector Bhavya Mittal described the incident as “unfortunate” and confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken.
“Commissioner of the Society, New Delhi, Ajit Kumar Shrivastava, has suspended Principal Praveen Dahiya with immediate effect,” she said.
“An overall report, including other issues related to the school, was sent to the state government and the National Education Society for Tribal Students under the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.”
Assistant Commissioner of the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Department, Prashant Arya, added that Librarian Madhurani has also been suspended following recommendations from state authorities.
“Both individuals have been removed from the school environment to ensure neutrality during the investigation,” he stated.
The disciplinary action underscores the administration’s zero-tolerance approach toward unprofessional conduct in educational institutions, especially those catering to tribal students.
