Principal, teacher beat up Dalit boy for asking why they were late; FIR lodged on court order

Lucknow: The principal and a teacher of a govt primary school in Sitapur were booked under SC/AT Act after parents of a Dalit student lodged an FIR against the two for assaulting their son, on Thursday.A student of Class 5, the boy was thrashed by principal, Durgesh Kumar, and teacher, Sandeep Kumar, when he questioned the two for arriving late to school. The boy reminded the duo of how they punished him recently for being late to school. This angered the two, who then allegedly thrashed the minor.The boy was allegedly punched in the stomach, which caused swelling in the intestines. The minor's parents allege that they lodged a police complaint, but no action was taken, after which the family approached the local court, which ordered an FIR to be lodged.The incident occurred on Sep 20, 2024, at a primary school in Lachhan Nagar. Rani's son, Kamal, a Class 5 student, confronted the teachers for arriving late to class. He reminded them of an earlier occasion when they reprimanded him for being late. This enraged the teachers, who allegedly used casteist slurs before assaulting him.Rani's petition states that Kamal was punched and kicked, causing severe swelling in his abdomen. After the incident, Kamal returned home in tears and narrated the ordeal to his mother. Concerned for her son's safety and well-being, Rani visited the school to address the matter but was met with hostility. She alleged that the teachers behaved in an abusive and disrespectful manner, even pushing her out of the school premises.Subsequently, Rani took Kamal for a medical examination, where an ultrasound revealed swelling in his intestines, confirming the severity of the assault. Rani further claimed that she submitted a formal complaint at the Laharpur police station and followed up with multiple written appeals to senior officials, including the then Superintendent of Police, Sitapur. Despite her efforts, no action was taken. Frustrated and disheartened, she eventually sent registered letters to the authorities, but these too yielded no results.Rani has accused the two teachers of perpetuating caste-based discrimination and negligence in their duties as educators. The petition also alleges collusion between the accused and local authorities, which has hindered the registration of an FIR.SHO, Laharpur, Mukul Prakash Verma, said that an FIR under the charges of BNS 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult), and ST/SC Act against the principal and the teacher.
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