Punished truant student dies

Irate public ransack school; 2 teachers held

Afzal Hamza Sab, an eighth standard student at New English School, had not attended  classes for two days. According to a complaint lodged by his mother, Abida, the teachers at the school beat him up and asked him to run around the ground as punishment.

Hamza collapsed and died midway. Abida has accused the headmaster, two teachers and the president of the school management of awarding corporal punishment to her son.
The exact cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

As soon as the news spread, irate public ransacked the school. A mob barged into the computer classroom and damaged computers and other school furniture. A few teachers and a policeman sustained injuries in the melee.

Tension prevailed for a while in the town and a holiday was declared for educational institutions in the noon. Block Education Officer P Lingappa said the body has been sent for post mortem and the report was awaited.

Police said that headmaster Ganesh Hebbar and physical education teacher K D Naika have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Ex gratia declared

The school management had declared an ex gratia of Rs one lakh to the family of the deceased student. The Education Department and Town Panchayat have promised Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively.