/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/26/2024-12-26t112006978z-wion-white-logo-for-website-2-1.png){kind=logo}
/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/13/2024-12-13t071548098z-wionlogo.webp)
/wion/media/member_avatars/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022/11/08/309185-new-2.png)
/wion/media/member_avatars/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/2022/11/08/309185-new-2.png)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2022/08/14/287519-dailt.jpg)
New Delhi
A nine-year-old boy, belonging to the oppressed Dalit caste, died on Sunday after being allegedly beaten by his teacher for drinking water from his pot in a private school. The incident took place in Surana village of Indiaâs western Rajasthan state.
The police have arrested 40-year-old Chail Singh and booked him for murder and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The incident occurred on July 20 when the boy, Indra Meghwal, suffered a serious injury to his face and became unconscious after receiving the thrashing.
He was then taken to the district hospital from where he was referred to a hospital in Udaipur. But his condition remained fragile even after a weekâs treatment. The family then decided to take him to neighbouring Ahmedabad city in Gujarat, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The photo of the boy with swollen eyes and an injured nose flooded social media on Sunday, where people expressed outrage at the incident.
While nation celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mohatsav, a 9-yr-old scheduled caste child fights between life and death. The child named Indra Meghwal was miserablely beaten by caste Hindu teacher as he drank water from a pot. This is Cong RSS Raj in Rajasthan.#AzadiKaAmritMahotsav pic.twitter.com/fz020pWcMH
â Varun Chinna (@varunchinnaa) August 14, 2022
The state education department has initiated an inquiry and Rajasthan Scheduled Caste Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa ordered that it be taken up under the case officer's scheme for fast investigation.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asked the authorities to take stringent action against the accused and announced Rs 500,000 ex-gratia to the victimâs families.
"We have filed a case against the teacher, Chail Singh, under section 302 of the IPC and the SC/ST Act and have arrested him," Superintendent of Police of Jalore district, Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla, told PTI news agency.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has sought strict action against the school administration and itâs recognition be rescinded.
âThis is first such incident where a Dalit boy died after he was beaten up by a teacher in private school for touching a drinking water pot. The BJP demands that immediate action should be taken so that such incidents do not reoccur,â BJP spokesperson and MLA Ramlal Sharma was quoted as saying.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE