Teacher sends students out, ends life in classroom

HUBBALLI: A day after Teachers’ Day, a physical education teacher working in the Kannda higher primary girls’ school in Koliwad village of Hubbal taluk, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling in a classroom on Thursday.
The deceased Channappa Totaganti, 42, was working in this school for the last eight years. He was reportedly upset over his transfer issue.

Hubballi rural BEO S M Hudemani told TOI, “Channappa went to the school a bit early, around 9.30am today and entered his classroom. He sent the students who were already in the room out and asked the sweeper to clean other rooms. He was found hanging in the classroom around 9.45am.”

Totaganti was staying in Mulagund, about 10 km from Koliwad and he was a native of Yalburga in Koppal district. It is said that he was upset after his name was figured in a list of teachers who were to be transferred by the education department.

“As per norms, PE teachers are transferred if the strength of their current school is less than 200. The school in Koliwad had fewer than 200 students and hence the government decided to transfer excess or additional teachers. Totaganti’s name figured in the list of transferred teachers. However, after inviting objections, the government had also stopped the transfer process and had withheld the list. We really don’t know why he took such an extreme step,” Hudemani said.

‘ Will probe both angles’

Hubballi rural police inspector M S Patil said, “We have received the complaint and are inquiring. The relatives of the deceased have alleged that Totaganti was harassed by some school staff, forcing him to end his life. Others have said he was upset because of his transfer. We are trying to find out the exact reason behind his death.”