Smuggling of rice from school; Criminal action recommended against four teachers

MALAPPURAM: The financial audit department has recommended criminal action against the teachers of Morayur VHM Higher Secondary School, Malappuram, who were found guilty of smuggling rice from the school. The audit report highlights the need to recover the financial loss caused by the smuggling, which is estimated to be worth lakhs of rupees. Specifically, the report suggests that Rs 2.88 lakh should be collected from the guilty teachers.

The investigation revealed that 7,737 kg of rice was smuggled from the school. The audit report emphasizes that this is a serious offence and recommends that departmental action be taken against the four teachers involved, including the head teacher of the school. As a result, four teachers have been suspended: Head Teacher D Srikanth, Physical Education Teacher Raveendran, Bhavaneesh and Irshad Ali who were in charge of midday meals.

The incident gained significant attention after footage of the rice sacks being transported in a private vehicle at night went viral on social media. Following this, an inspection by the Deputy Director of Education (DDE) of Malappuram confirmed the rice smuggling and resale. The rice was found to have been transported to a shop in Kondotty. The school authorities claimed ignorance of the circulating footage and insisted that the number of food items in the school was accurate.