Protest over beating of class VI student, police files case

A class VI student was allegedly beaten up by a woman teacher as he had worn a dress related to a religious ritual and not the school uniform, sparking protest in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district.

Police said that they have registered a case under various IPC sections, including for hurting religious feeelings but no arrest has been made so far. The student at a private school, who was observing Ayyappa Deeksha, went to the school on October 29 wearing a 'mala' (garland) and attired in black dress, a traditional robe wore during Ayyappa deeksha.

However, it was objected to by the teacher who also allegedly passed some objectionable comments, Kurnool II town police station sub-inspector Babu Prasad said. According to the complaint filed by boy's parents, the teacher not only beat up the boy but also abused him and allegedly tried to snatch his mala, the SI said, adding that she further made the student clean the school premises.

When the boy narrated the incident to his parents, they went to school to verify the matter but they were too allegedly abused by the teacher. Angered over the incident, scores of people, including some members of right-wing organisations, staged a protest at the school and also damaged furniture at its office.

Following the complaint, police registered a case under IPC sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings) and 298 (uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person) in this regard.

"No one has been arrested so far and investigation is on," Prasad added.