Five-year-old student dies after alleged teacher slap in Visakhapatnam

A five-year-old UKG student died after an alleged teacher slap at a Visakhapatnam private school.

VISAKHAPATNAM: A five-year-old UKG student died after allegedly being slapped by a teacher at a private school in Kotha Road, Visakhapatnam, on Thursday. The incident sparked protests by the boy’s parents and relatives, who alleged that the teacher assaulted the child for failing to complete his homework and held her responsible for his death.

The incident occurred at a private school under the jurisdiction of One Town police station. The deceased was identified as T Pranay Tej, son of Krishna Prasad, a cook, and Sai Lakshmi, a homemaker.

According to the boy’s parents, Pranay was reluctant to attend school on Thursday as he had not completed some of his homework. He eventually went to school but was reportedly in a dull mood. CCTV footage from the classroom reportedly showed the teacher calling students one by one to check their homework. When Pranay showed an empty slate, the teacher is said to have pulled him towards her, unbuttoned his shirt and slapped him in the classroom. The boy subsequently collapsed.

He was rushed to KG Hospital in Visakhapatnam, where doctors declared him dead. Although the incident reportedly occurred around 11 am, the school management informed the boy’s parents at 12.50 pm.

The distraught parents and relatives of the child staged protest at the school, demanding action against the school management and those responsible for the incident. District education officer Prem Kumar and One Town police inspector Vara Prasad visited the school and spoke to the staff and students. Prem Kumar said a preliminary report has been submitted to the government and further action would be initiated soon.

Police have registered a case and launched investigation based on a complaint from the boy’s parents. They added that the exact cause of death would be established after post-mortem examination.

IT and education minister Nara Lokesh expressed shock at the incident and said the government will initiate action against those responsible, including the school management. He also assured the victim’s family of all support.