Violent protests over Dalit boy's death in UP

Aurraiya, Sep 27 (IANS) Violent protests took place in Uttar Pradesh's Aurraiya district on Tuesday following the death of a 15-year-Dalit boy, who was allegedly beaten by a teacher from his school.

The family and members of Bhim Army had initially refused to cremate the body, demanding immediate arrest of the accused teacher, who is absconding.

They staged a sit-in protest on the road outside the school in Achhalda area of the district where the victim studied.

The protest soon turned violent, with some infuriated locals setting a police jeep on fire. They also allegedly threw stones at the police personnel.

The boy's family and Bhim Army members finally agreed to take his body to their village for cremation after senior police officials rushed to the spot and assured them of a swift action.

"Police teams have been formed to arrest the school teacher," said SP Charu Nigam.

The boy was allegedly thrashed by his school teacher Ashwini Singh, reportedly from an upper caste, on September 7 just because he had made a spelling error in a social science test.

He died on Monday while being taken to a government hospital in a neighbouring district, and his body was handed over to his family last evening after a post-mortem.

In a complaint to the police, the boy's father claimed the teacher assaulted his son on September 7 with sticks, rods, and also kicked him till he fell unconscious after he spelt one word wrong during a social science test at the school.

The complaint states that the teacher first gave Rs 10,000 for the boy's treatment and then a further Rs 30,000, but later stopped receiving his phone calls.

The boy's father says when he confronted the teacher, he was abused with casteist slurs.

The case was then filed based on the father's complaint. The police have included sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the FIR.