From correspondents in Punjab, India, 07:31 PM IST

Short temper cost a teacher in Chandigarh dearly as he was suspended Thursday for allegedly hitting a pregnant colleague after a verbal spat.

'Yogesh, a JBT (junior basic training) teacher, at the Government Model High School in Kaimbwala village, on the periphery of Chandigarh, has been suspended on the complaint of his fellow teacher,' said an official of the education department.

According to the complaint, Yogesh lost his temper and slapped his colleague Monica, a nursery teacher, after a verbal brawl Wednesday.

But Yogesh maintains his innocence and in a written complaint has said that he just asked for the official register and it was Monica who hit him.

The case was referred to Kushwinder Sharma, the district education officer. She took written complaints from both of them and forwarded a report to the director of public instructions (DPI).

'Yogesh has a bad record and earlier also he was involved in similar incidents. He has been suspended for the time being and the department will hold a thorough inquiry into the matter,' S.K. Setia, DPI (education), told IANS Thursday.

According to official sources, both the teachers have been reprimanded for indiscipline earlier too. Both were said to have been transferred to their present posts as 'punishment posting', an official parlance for disciplinary action.

Yogesh was involved in a group scuffle and Monica was transferred after she was found guilty in a case of giving corporal punishment to students.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)