Tearful farewell to murdered teacher

A woman teacher who was stabbed to death by a student was consigned to flames here Friday, with hundreds of teary-eyed relatives, friends, colleagues and students packing the funeral.

Uma Maheswari stabbed to death Thursday by a disgruntled Class 9 student in the class room of St. Mary's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School.

According to police, the boy was upset at the teacher for complaining about his poor academic performance to his parents.

Maheswari had been employed in the school for the past six years.

Several people visited her house here earlier Friday and paid their homage by placing wreaths on Maheswari's body.

The killer boy was remanded to custody by a court and lodged in a juvenile home.

Police said boy bought the knife for Rs.20 from a shop and was carrying the same to the school for two days before he found a chance to kill Maheswari.

"We have lost a good teacher," was the general refrain of the students and others at the funeral.

According to Maheswari's relatives, she turned down other job offers and wanted to be a teacher.

"Now the lives of two families - the boy's and the teacher's - have turned upside down. I was not able to sleep for a long time after hearing the news," said K. Lakshman, a parent.

Maheswari is survived by her husband, an executive in a private company, and two schoolgoing children.