A nine-year-old boy from the Dalit community in Rajasthan died on Saturday after he was allegedly beaten by his school teacher for drinking water from a pot that had been kept aside for the teacher. The police have arrested the teacher and charged him with murder, police officials said.
The incident took place on July 20 at a private school in Sayla village in Jalore district. The child, who was injured in the eye and ear, was taken to Ahmedabad - about 300 kms away - for treatment. The boy died yesterday in the hospital during treatment, police officials said.
The internet has been suspended in the area to prevent the situation from escalating.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, while expressing grief over the incident, said that he has instructed officials for fast investigation of the case. "Justice will be ensured to the victim's family at the earliest. An assistance amount of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the family from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," he tweeted.
A police team has been sent to Ahmedabad for the victim's post-mortem.
The accused teacher has been arrested and charged for murder under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
"We filed cases under relevant sections. The teacher has been arrested and interrogated," a cop investigating the case said.
The boy's family, in their complaint, said the boy was beaten up badly for touching a drinking water pot.
"My son was beaten up by teacher Chail Singh for drinking water from his pot and abused him with casteist slurs. The boy got a haemorrhage and I took him for treatment to Udaipur and then to Ahmedabad where he died," the boy's father, Dewaram Meghwal, said.
The state education department has initiated an inquiry into the matter and Rajasthan SC Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa ordered that it be taken up under the case officer's scheme for fast investigation.
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