A
nine-year-old boy from a Dalit community was allegedly beaten up by a teacher
at a private school in Rajasthan’s Jalore district on July 20 and died on
Saturday, police said. The incident took place at Surana village. The child,
Indra Meghwal, was hospitalised in Ahmedabad. He died in the hospital during
treatment.

Chail
Singh, 40, was arrested by the police and charged him with murder and sections
of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Internet has been suspended in the area to prevent the situation from
escalating.

Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed grief over the incident. Harsh Vardhan
Agarwalla, Superintendent of Police of Jalore, said the boy was beaten up badly
and added that the reason cited for it – touching a drinking water pot – was yet
to be investigated.

“We have
filed a case against the teacher, Chail Singh, under section 302 of the IPC and
the SC/ST Act and have arrested him,” the police officer said.

The boy’s father
said he suffered injuries in his face and ear and almost became unconscious.
The boy was taken to the district hospital, from where he was referred to a
hospital in Udaipur.

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“He remained
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
said.

The state education
department has asked two officials to probe the matter and submit a report to
the block education officer.

The BJP on Sunday demanded action against the owner
of a private school after a minor Dalit boy died after being allegedly beaten
up by a teacher for touching a water pot.

BJP spokesperson
and MLA Ramlal Sharma said recognition of the school should be cancelled so
that discipline is maintained.

The BSP has also
condemned the incident and will give representations addressed to the President
on Tuesday.