Indian teacher allegedly killed student for spelling mistake
Indian police have launched a manhunt for a teacher accused of beating a low-caste student which led to his death, for a spelling mistake.
The victim, Nikhil Dohre, was beaten by his social studies teacher on September 7 after he made a mistake during an exam. His health then deteriorated and he was taken to hospital.
The Class 10 Dalit student who was fatally beaten by his school teacher in Auraiya, died while being treated in hospital. It has been established that the accused fled the area after the death of his student.
On September 24, Nikhil’s father, Raju Dohre, filed a complaint at Achhalda Police Station against the teacher for not cooperating with the treatment and for using abusive words denoting caste.
The FIR was registered against the accused, Ashwini Singh, at Acchalda Police Station and teams were formed to arrest the accused. Auraiya Police Superintendent Charu Nigam said;
“We have spoken to the Etawah Chief Medical Officer to set up an autopsy panel to find out the cause of death and to obtain the autopsy and videography. Other measures will be taken. Three teams were formed to arrest the accused.”
“He is on the run, but we will arrest him soon,” police officer Mahendra Pratap Singh told AFP.
Dohre was a member of the Dalit community, which is the lowest rung of the caste system in India and has been subject to prejudice and discrimination for centuries.
Hundreds of people took to the streets on Monday, September 24, after news of Dohre’s death spread in Auraiya district, the site of the attack.
The crowd demanded the teacher’s arrest before the boy’s body was cremated and set fire to a police vehicle.
A dozen protesters were arrested, Singh said. “We used force to suppress the crowd and the situation was quickly brought under control,” police commissioner Charu Nigam told reporters.
