Four people are arrested on May 8, 2026, on charges of inhumane treatment after allegedly smearing black soot on and garlanding with shoes the principal of Pipalkot Secondary School of Shivanath Rural Municipality-4, Pipalkot, Damodar Ojha.
Locals had allegedly mistreated Principal Ojha, accusing him of abusing a local woman.
Police took interest in the incident after videos and photos of Ojha being smeared with soot and garlanded with shoes went viral on social media. Police Inspector Baldeb Badu, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Baitadi, said four people were arrested for allegedly being involved in smearing soot on Ojha and garlanding him with shoes.
According to Inspector Badu, those arrested include Tara Mahata, 38, her husband Prem Mahata, 42, local resident Mohan Mahata, and Shakuntala Mahata.
He said all four were arrested from their homes by a team deployed from the Area Police Office, Melouli, and taken into custody for investigation.
Police stated that those involved in the incident would be prosecuted according to the law. Members of the Mahata family had publicly humiliated Principal Ojha by smearing soot on him and garlanding him with shoes. They had also hung a pamphlet around his neck that read, “I am a criminal.”
The Mahata family allegedly smeared soot on Ojha and garlanded him with shoes on May 7, claiming that he had mistreated a woman on April 25.
The incident has been linked to the recruitment process for a primary-level teacher at Pipalkot Secondary School. It has been claimed that the incident occurred after a female applicant, who had accused the principal of mistreatment, failed the examination for the teaching post.
School Management Committee Chairperson Bharat Saud said that 17 people had applied for the primary-level teacher vacancy at Pipalkot Secondary School and 14 had appeared in the examination. Among the participants was the woman in question, who failed the exam.
Chairperson Saud stated that before the examination, the woman had also raised the issue of financial dealings with Principal Ojha, but he had insisted that the examination should remain fair and impartial.
According to Saud, the act of smearing soot on the principal and garlanding him with shoes was connected to the teacher recruitment issue.
However, family members of the woman who alleged mistreatment claimed that their relatives became enraged after the principal allegedly called the woman to the school and mistreated her, leading them to smear soot on him.
Police stated that a detailed investigation into the incident is ongoing. Inspector Badu said the case is receiving widespread public attention, and therefore, a thorough investigation is being conducted.