6-Year-Old Dies After Teacher Slaps Him for Skipping Homework in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: A six-year-old boy died after collapsing inside a private school in Visakhapatnam, with his family alleging that he was beaten by his class teacher for not completing his homework.

The deceased, identified as Pranay Teja, was an LKG student at Little Garden School in the One Town area of Visakhapatnam. According to his family, the child was allegedly hit with a stick by his teacher before he collapsed in the classroom.

CCTV footage reportedly shows the teacher hitting the child, following which he collapses into her lap.

The family said Pranay had left home on Thursday morning in good health and had himself insisted on going to school. His father said there were no signs of illness or any underlying health issue when the child left home.

The family alleged that the child collapsed at around 11:20 am following the incident. He was subsequently taken to King George Hospital (KGH), where doctors declared him brought dead.

Pranay's father also alleged that the school did not directly inform the family about the incident. He said relatives were alerted by local workers before the family learnt that the child had been taken to hospital.

The family further alleged that physical punishment was not an isolated incident and claimed that other children had also been beaten at the school. They have demanded strict action against those responsible.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. The child's body has been sent for post-mortem examination, which is expected to establish the exact medical cause of death.

Revenue Divisional Officer Dilip Chakravarthy also visited the hospital after being informed about the incident and said officials were collecting details.

The Andhra Pradesh Education Department described the incident as "extremely unfortunate and painful" and said the government was taking it seriously. Officials conducted a preliminary inquiry following the incident, after which a three-member committee comprising the Visakhapatnam Regional Joint Director, District Education Officer and Revenue Divisional Officer was formed to examine the circumstances.

The department has also said that sensitisation programmes will be organised to ensure teachers deal with students with greater sensitivity, responsibility and humanity. Further action will be taken based on the committee's report.

The investigation is underway, and the post-mortem report is awaited to determine the precise cause of Pranay Teja's death.

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