A six-year-old boy, Pranay Tej, died after collapsing in a classroom, soon after a teacher scolded and slapped him. The incident, captured on CCTV, happened on August 20 at the Little Garden School in Visakhapatnam, where Pranay was a UKG student.
The visuals show the boy sitting on a bench across from the teacher, seeming distressed and asking not to be called to the front. When he went to the teacher apparently without having done some assigned work on his slate, she was seen shaking the boy and trying to unbutton his shirt. She then slapped him, and within seconds, he collapsed onto her.
The child was taken to the King George Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The exact cause of his death is yet to be confirmed through a post-mortem examination.
Pranay’s mother Sai Lakshmi told the media that her son said he was scared before leaving for school in the morning, saying his teacher might hit him for not doing his homework. “The teacher tried to strip him and hit him for not doing some work. He's just a UKG kid, what is the need to intimidate and hit him like that,” the mother said.
While Pranay collapsed around 11 am, the parents said they were informed by the school management nearly two hours later. The family staged a protest at the school demanding action against the school management and others responsible for the boy’s death.
Nara Lokesh, Minister for Human Resources Development (Education) in Andhra Pradesh, said the government would take action against the school management.
“It is heartbreaking that six-year-old Pranay Tej lost his life due to a teacher beating him at Little Garden Private School in Visakhapatnam. We are taking legal action against the culprits and the school management. I convey my deepest condolences to Pranay Tej’s parents. Stay strong. The loss you have suffered is irreplaceable by anyone. Our government will stand by you in every possible way,” Lokesh said.