Vizag: A six-year-old student's death at a school in Visakhapatnam has sparked anger among his family members, who have alleged that he collapsed after being reprimanded and allegedly hit by a teacher over incomplete homework.
The incident reportedly took place at Little Garden School in the One Town area of Visakhapatnam. The child, identified as Pranay Tej, was studying in the LKG, according to the media reports.
The exact cause of the child's death, however, is yet to be established through the official investigation. Claims that he died of a heart attack after being frightened by the teacher have been made in connection with the incident.
Video of classroom incident goes viral
According to the family, Pranay Tej had gone to school as usual when he was allegedly reprimanded by his teacher for not completing his homework.
A video said to be from the classroom has since surfaced on social media. In the footage, the child appears visibly distressed and can be seen crying while standing near the teacher. At one point, the child appears to say “No, no” while crying. The video appears to show the teacher holding or pulling the child's clothing, including his tie, and allegedly slapping him.
The child then appears to collapse against the teacher before falling to the ground.
The footage has intensified questions from the family and others over the treatment of the child inside the classroom.
School management took child to hospital
According to the Zee Telugu report, after the child collapsed, the teacher and school management reportedly rushed him to a hospital for treatment.
The family said that when Pranay Tej was taken to King George Hospital (KGH), doctors declared him dead.
The news left the child's parents and relatives devastated. They later reached the school and protested after reportedly watching the CCTV footage of the classroom incident.
Police begin probe after family protest
The child's death led to a protest by relatives outside the school and at KGH. Family members have demanded a detailed investigation into what happened inside the classroom and strict action if anyone is found responsible.
Police reportedly reached the spot after learning about the protest and registered a case based on the family's complaint. The teacher and school management are reportedly named in the case.
The investigation is expected to establish what happened before the child collapsed, whether any physical force was used against him and what caused his death.
