Protests break out after Dalit boy is beaten to death in Rajasthan
Indra Meghwal, a student of the private school, Saraswati Vidhya Mandir, in Surana village, was beaten up badly on July 20, said the SP, adding that that the reason — touching a drinking water pot — cited by the boy’s family in their complaint is being investigated.
Protests broke out in Rajasthan’s Jalore district on Sunday, a day after a nine-year-old Dalit boy died allegedly after he was beaten up by a teacher for touching a drinking water pot in a private school, police said.
The teacher, Chail Singh, 40, has been arrested and booked for murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, said Jalore superintendent of police Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla.
Indra Meghwal, a student of the private school, Saraswati Vidhya Mandir, in Surana village, was beaten up badly on July 20, said the SP, adding that that the reason — touching a drinking water pot — cited by the boy’s family in their complaint is being investigated.
The boy succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Ahmedabad on Saturday, a senior police officer said.
On Sunday, police used mild force to disburse protesters, who pelted stones at officials and refused to cremate the body till their demands of a government job and compensation to the deceased boy’s family are not met, a senior police officer said.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced ₹5 lakh ex gratia for kin of the deceased and assured justice for the boy’s family.
“The death of a child due to the beating of a teacher at a private school in Jalore’s Saila police station area is sad. The accused teacher has been arrested and a case has been registered against him for murder and under sections of the SC/ST Act,” Gehlot said in a tweet in Hindi.
“The matter has been taken under the case officer scheme for speedy investigation and punishment for the accused. It will be ensured that the victim’s family gets justice at the earliest,” he said. “The family members of the deceased will be given a relief amount of ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister’s relief fund.”
According to the police, the boy’s uncle registered a complaint, based on which a first information report was filed against the teacher on Saturday.
In their complaint, the child’s family said the boy suffered injuries in his face and ear and was almost unconscious due to the beating from the teacher.
The boy was taken to the district hospital, from where he was referred to a hospital in Udaipur. “He was admitted at the hospital in Udaipur for about a week, but seeing no improvement, we took him to Ahmedabad. But his condition did not improve even there and he finally succumbed on Saturday,” the boy’s father Devaram Meghwal told reporters.
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.
Meanwhile, talking about the protest by the child’s relatives and a Dalit rights organisation, a senior police officer said the family members were ready to cremate the body but activists of the Dalit organisation were making undue demands. “The CM has already announced ₹5 lakh compensation. Besides, ₹8.25 lakh compensation is provided under the SC/ST Act when case is lodged in Section 302 of IPC,” said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity. “But when the administration was reaching an agreement, the activists and some villagers tried taking the body out from the residence without the consent of the family. The police then used light force to disperse them.”
District collector Nishant Jain said the situation is under control and no force was used. “The agitators were just pushed back… An agreement has been reached with the family members and the body is cremated,” he said. “A sum of ₹5 lakh has been announced by the CM and half the amount (under SC/ST Act) of around ₹4 lakh has been handed over to the family while the rest will be given after the challan.”
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded action against the owner of the private school and said such incidents happen when the state government and chief minister are weak.
“Incidents of Dalit atrocities have happened one after another in the last three-and-a-half years. This happens when the state government, chief minister are weak. The guilty must be punished at the earliest,” BJP state president Satish Poonia told reporters.
“When the country is celebrating 75th year of independence, such an incident forces us to think where we are standing. A society is made up of unity and harmony, and for us society is paramount.”
BJP legislator Ramlal Sharma said recognition of the school should be cancelled so that discipline is maintained. “Action against the school owner should also be taken and recognition of the school should be cancelled so that discipline is maintained in schools,” he said.