A court in West Bengal’s Purulia district on Sunday sent a teacher and the son of school owner to 14 days’ in judicial custody for allegedly beating up a six-year-old student, the Hindustan Times reported. The child succumbed to injuries on Saturday.
The boy used to stay at the hostel of the Gurukul Ashram, a residential primary school in Purulia. On Saturday, his family was informed that he was not feeling well and was taken to Bandwan block primary health centre. When his father Rupchand Soren reached the place, he learnt that the child had been beaten up.
Based on Soren’s complaint, the police arrested Chinmoy Sashtri, the son of school owner Jyotirmay Sashtri, and teacher Rajib Mahato. However, Jyotirmoy Sashtri’s wife Chhaya claimed that no one had beaten up the child. “As soon as we got information that the student fell ill, we took him to hospital,” she said.
The Purulia administration also ordered the school management to shut the institution for a few days. Unidentified parents told the Hindustan Times that they tried to withdraw their children from the school as soon as the incident came to light. However, they were not allowed to enter the hostel.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!