Parents in Raghunathpur village learned that their children had brought home booklets titled "Sanskar Sarita", "Vrat Niyam" and "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", which the school’s principal, Mahesh Prajapati, had handed out to middle‑school students on Oct. 26. The materials, linked to convicted godman Asaram Bapu, appeared during a visit by his followers in the school’s presence. Parents filed a formal complaint with the education department.
Block Education Officer Nirupur S. Chandra, acting on the complaint, directed a probe and asked the district education officer, Narendra Nirapure, to submit a report. Prajapati was removed from his post on Thursday, with Nirapure saying the inquiry would continue. In a statement, Nirapure said the school’s head had violated the ban on distributing content related to a jailed criminal.
Asaram Bapu, a self‑styled deity, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2013 for raping a girl in Gujarat and again in 2013 for molesting a minor in Rajasthan. His ashrams in Gujarat and Rajasthan have been seized by the government. The school’s act contravened the government’s directive that no material associated with him should be shown to students.
The investigation report is expected to be filed by the end of November, after which the education department will decide whether Prajapati faces disciplinary action or permanent dismissal. Authorities also warned schools to vet all material presented to students, emphasizing the need for vigilance against extremist propaganda.