A protest outside a residential school on the outskirts of Bengaluru ended only after police assured residents that any teacher found responsible for the death of a 12-year-old student would face legal action, as investigators opened an Unnatural Death Report (UDR) and began examining allegations that the child had been assaulted before he collapsed.
The boy, a Class 6 student at Sterling English Residential School in Kadayarappanahalli in Bengaluru North taluk, died after being taken to hospital, according to police. His family said school authorities informed them that he had fallen ill and had been shifted for treatment, but by the time they reached the hospital, he had already died.
Relatives and villagers accused a physical education teacher of beating the student during a morning training session. According to the family’s allegations, the assault led to the child’s death. Police said those claims remain under investigation and have not been independently established.
A classmate told police that the student had gone to the restroom before reporting to the playground, after which the teacher allegedly assaulted him and instructed him to run two laps. The boy later collapsed while running, the classmate alleged.
The same student also alleged that physical punishment, using sticks and rods, was common at the school and that hostel residents were frequently harassed over minor issues. He further complained that the quality of food served in the hostel was poor. Police said those allegations would also form part of the inquiry.
{{/usCountry}}The same student also alleged that physical punishment, using sticks and rods, was common at the school and that hostel residents were frequently harassed over minor issues. He further complained that the quality of food served in the hostel was poor. Police said those allegations would also form part of the inquiry.
{{/usCountry}}The student’s death triggered unrest at the school, where relatives and villagers confronted the physical education teacher and allegedly assaulted him. Police said some protesters arrived carrying petrol cans and threatened to set the teacher on fire before officers intervened, rescued him and moved him to safety.
The crowd later blocked police vehicles and demanded that the teacher be handed over to them. As protesters attempted to surround the accused, officers carried out a mild lathi-charge to disperse the gathering.
Senior officers, including deputy commissioner of police GK Mithun Kumar, held talks with the protesters, after which the demonstration was called off. “The villagers have withdrawn their protest following our assurance. We have assured them that if the teacher is found guilty during the investigation, stringent legal action will be taken without hesitation,” Kumar told reporters.
Police said they have registered an Unnatural Death Report and are recording statements from students, school employees and other witnesses while awaiting the post-mortem findings, which investigators said would be central to determining the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
After the autopsy, the child’s body was handed over to his family for the last rites.