Chhattisgarh teachers hang four-year-old from a tree; probe launched
A viral video from Chhattisgarh shows teachers hanging a 4-year-old from a tree for not doing homework, triggering outrage and a district-level probe
A four-year-old boy has allegedly been hung from a tree by two teachers of a school in the Narayanpur village in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur for not doing his homework on Monday (November 24). The incident, which recently took place on the campus of Hans Vahini Vidya Mandir, was recorded by a youth from the roof of a nearby building and shared on social media, sparking large-scale outrage and prompting an investigation by the district administration.
How it started
The school opened as usual on Monday with children arriving on time. During a homework check in the nursery class, teacher Kajal Sahu discovered that one child had not completed the assigned work. Reports say she became angry and expelled the student from the classroom. Soon after, she administered a punishment that shocked the entire village.
Also Read: Eight dead, 14 injured as passenger, goods trains collide in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
The two teachers- Kajal Sahu and Anuradha Dewangan-tied the child with a rope and hung him from a tree inside the school campus, reported NDTV. The video of the incident shows the person hanging helplessly from the tree for four hours.
The child cried, screamed, pleaded with the two teachers to get him down, but they remained unfazed and ignored his pleas.
District authorities swing into action
Soon, the viral video caught the attention of the district administration, and Block Education Officer (BEO) DS Lakra rushed to the school to conduct an inquiry. He said that the probe report will be sent to senior officials to determine the future course of action. District Education Officer (DEO) Ajay Mishra said that he was aware of the incident.
Also Read: 10 Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district
According to media reports, the education department sent cluster-in-charge Manoj Yadav to the school to investigate the matter. He said that the teachers’ actions were “completely wrong”, adding that a report has been submitted to senior district officials.
School management admits lapse
The management of the school also admitted fault with the administrator issuing a public apology describing the incident as a “serious lapse”.
"Yes, I made a mistake... This is the first time. I didn't do it intentionally,” the two accused teachers told NDTV.
Santosh Kumar Sahu, a family member of the child, slammed the school management, accusing them of gross negligence and cruelty. He demanded strict action against the teachers responsible for the act.