Police in Assam have arrested a teacher after she allegedly carried beef for lunch inside a government school, The Hindu newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The teacher, Dalima Nessa, is the headmistress of the Hurkachungi Middle English School in Goalpara district’s Lakhipur.
While beef is not banned in the state, the Assam Cattle Preservation Act restricts the transportation of cows, and bans the sale and purchase of the meat in areas dominated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs.
A police case was filed against Nessa by the school management committee, The Indian Express newspaper quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.
The police invoked Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups) and 295A (acts intended to outrage religious feelings) against her.
“The school management committee said that she had brought beef to school for lunch, and was serving it to some members of the staff, which created a sense of discomfort among them,” the officer said.
The incident reportedly took place on May 14 at an event related to the Assam government’s education quality enhancement initiative Gunotsav.
