Boy allegedly beaten up with rubber tube by govt-run home staff for missing school

A class VII student faced the undue wrath of a government-run children’s home staff at Royapuram for bunking a day of school. The child was caught by the police roaming on the Marina Beach and was handed over to the home, but it didn't end there.

The New Indian Express reports that he was “disciplined” with a rubber tube and returned to his father by the police with his left cheek swollen and his palms red. More shockingly, the child had to stay in the home for a week, despite his father tracing him in the next two days and pleaded his son be sent with him.

On the morning of February 3, the boy's father, working as a painter to make both ends meet, was out of town on work. Bunking school and instead choosing to visit the Marina beach, the boy did not get caught by his school teachers or relatives. Two policewomen in plainclothes noticed the boy roaming suspiciously on the beach and the boy gave his father’s cellphone number. Since the boy’s father could not be immediately reached over phone, the police personnel handed the child over to the government-run children’s home at Royapuram.