Jamshedpur, Aug. 26: The headmaster of a government school was arrested today on the charges of trying to siphon off funds meant for midday meal and beating up students for protesting against his action.

Trouble started when Sant Kumar Prasad, the head of Pardih Madhya Vidyalaya, had a confrontation on the funds issue with members of the Saraswati Vahini, an organisation that cooks and delivers midday meal to the school. This prompted the members of the organisation to block the Pardih Chowk in Mango for more than an hour demanding Prasad’s arrest. They also tied the headmaster’s hands and made him parade on the street.

The situation was brought under control after a police party from Mango arrived on the spot and took the Prasad to the police station. He was later arrested. On the basis of the statement of Mausumi Pal, a member of Saraswati Vahini, the police have registered a case under Sections 341 and 323 against the headmaster.

According to sources in the organisation, Prasad allegedly forced the members of Saraswati Vahini to save rice and money from midday meal scheme and hand it over to him on a regular basis. When the functionaries refused, Prasad started misbehaving with them and threatened to implicate them in a false case.

“The headmaster asked for money from the midday meal funds and threatened to implicate us in a false case if we refused him,” said Mausumi Pal.

The agitated members of the organisation locked the office of the headmaster before he came to the school today.

On his arrival at 10am, five members of the organisation, parents of students tried to pupt a garland of shoes around his neck. The headmaster then thrashed the protesters.

Officer in charge of Mango police station L.N. Gupta said that they had enough proof against the headmaster. Gupta said Prasad was trying to take advantage of his post.