Rajouri:
An 11-year-old, lies on his back on a hospital bed in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, staring at the ceiling. His small feet are swathed in bandages. He has reportedly told the police that his teachers at a private madrassa pressed a hot iron against them to punish him for not committing his lessons to memory.
The child, say the police, has accused two Imams or priests of torturing him and also of keeping him locked up in a room for eight days. "I tried to run but I was caught and locked in a room. I was kept there for eight days. They used to beat me. The iron was heated for half an hour and my feet were burnt using it," the boy was quoted as saying.
He has reportedly also told the police that he got no medical attention at the school for his burns. It was only when his uncle came to the madrassa or Islamic school to visit him that the alleged brutality came to light. His uncle took the child to hospital and complained to the police.
The Imams have been arrested, Senior Superintendent of Police Rajouri, Mubassir Latifi, said.