Three orphans beaten up by convener for stealing 50 rupees

60-year-old Rambabu Sharma, convener of 'Balgrah' at Ranapratap Colony, allegedly beat up Class VIII student Manju, Class VII student Sambha, and Class IV student Ramsahay on October 25 after he found out that the children had stolen the money.

A case under section 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), section 348 (Wrongful confinement to extort confession or compel restoration of property), section 327 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act) has been registered against Sharma in this regard yesterday and he has been arrested, they said.

The matter came to light when the two children narrated the incident to their school principal, who in turn informed the police. The third student, Sambha, was found locked in a room of the orphanage, police said.

All the three students, who suffered injuries, are being treated at Kanwatia hospital here, the police said.Sharma is being interrogated, they said, adding he will be produced before a local court to seek remand.