The death of a 15-year-old boy in Kuligaon village, which is within the purview of Khantapada police in Baleshwar district in Odisha, erupted into controversy on Sunday, October 8 after his parents accused a teacher at the school of inflicting corporal punishment on the student.
Villagers and parents protested in front of Bansidhar High School, demanding that the teacher who they claimed assaulted the student be fired immediately. Suman Das, who was 15 years old, was a Class X student.
According to a report in The New Indian Express, Govinda Das, the victim's father, reported that Suman complained about feeling uneasy when he got home from school on Saturday, October 7. The boy, when asked about what happened, claimed to his father that his Hindi teacher beat him due to his incomplete homework.
He complained of severe chest pain in the evening and was taken right away to Khantapada Hospital for treatment. Later, Suman was reportedly moved to Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital as his condition worsened. At around 6 am, the boy passed away while receiving treatment.
When Govinda reported the teacher to the Khantapada police, they hurried to FM Medical College, where they seized the body and sent it for an autopsy. The body was taken by angry villagers and parents at about noon, who then placed it in front of the school and demanded action against the teacher. More parents and guardians joined them.
In an attempt to calm the residents, Additional Superintendent of Police Sarat Mishra and other police officers hurried to the scene but were unsuccessful.
According to Khantapada Inspector In-Charge Biranchi Sahu, residents were persuaded to end their protest, but they insisted on the teacher's termination. They reportedly protested up until the final report arrived.
