A fifth-standard student Bajrangi Kumar (14) died after allegedly being caught smoking and thrashed by the teachers of a private school in Motihari of East Champaran district of Bihar. Son of Harikishore Rai and Usmila Devi, Kumar used to study in Rising Star Private Residential School in Madhuban.
The incident happened on June 24 when the boy went to repair his mother’s mobile phone.
“He went to the mobile repairing shop and while returning he was allegedly caught smoking near Hardiya bridge where the director of the school and a teacher took him to the school and reportedly beat him up mercilessly following which he fell unconscious. They took him to the nearest hospital but his condition worsened and he was taken to a private hospital in Muzaffarpur where he died,” Puja Kumari, the elder sister of the deceased said.
The family members said that the student was admitted to the school hostel two months back and he had returned home for the summer vacation. On June 24 evening, the boy had gone to Madhuban with his friend to get a mobile repair.
His mother Usmila Devi has lodged a complaint against the director of the school Vijay Kumar Yadav and the teacher Jay Prakash Yadav at Madhuban police station.
“It was the school director who had called me on June 24 night and informed me that my son died in Muzaffarpur during the treatment. We rushed and brought the dead body to Madhuban. On June 25 we informed the police about the incident,” Ms. Devi said.
Madhuban Station House Officer (SHO) Pramod Kumar Paswan said that the dead body has been sent for postmortem at Sadar Hospital and raids were conducted at the school to catch the director and the teacher but both are absconding and the school was locked.
Pakridayal Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sunil Kumar Singh has instructed the Circle Officer (CO) and SHO to seal the school and submit a report. Mr. Singh said as per the law, appropriate action would be taken against the school administration.
One representative of the school said that the boy was not beaten, but consumed poison due to fear of his parents after allegedly being caught smoking and during the treatment he died in Muzaffarpur. Police are on the lookout to catch both the director and the teacher.
