Students in India put through ‘trial by fire’ by principal

A school principal in India has had a complaint lodged against her by police, after she allegedly forced 13 pupils to hold their hands over a lit candle.
Sushanti Hembrom, the headteacher, was trying to find out if one of the nine-year-old pupils had stolen money from a fellow classmate.
The incident took place on the 31st January in a private school located in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.
The following day, Ms Hembrom was suspended following a series of complaints from parents.
The BBC were told by police that the teacher thought the guilty student would step forward and confess out of fear – however, all of the students did as they were told and put their hands over the fire.
Some of the students pulled away immediately, but seven sustained burns, and at least one pupil – whose hand Ms Hembrom supposedly held over the flame – had to go to hospital after being injured badly, before being discharged on the 1st February.
Police also claim that Ms Hembrom – who subsequently admitted what happened – said that she made a “big mistake” and then apologised to the students in question and their parents.