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- dEsPeraTe cRaNky -
NEW DELHI
Humiliated and repeatedly slapped by his teacher for coming late to class, an 11-year-old boy jumped off the second floor of his school building in east Delhi on Thursday morning. Miraculously, he survived the fall and is admitted in hospital with multiple fractures in both legs.
The boy, a class VI student at Mother Teresa Public School in Preet Vihar, was returning from an extra class in the zero period -- where he was preparing for an upcoming music competition -- when his class teacher flew into a rage accusing him of reporting late to class. The teacher has been identified as B Sudha.
"In his statement, the boy has said that Sudha slapped and reprimanded him. He has also alleged that he felt humiliated in front of the whole class. He walked out and jumped off the second floor, falling almost 20 feet to the ground," said K C Dwivedi, Additional Commissioner of Police (east). Ironically, the school is located just 500 metres from the headquarters of CBSE which has been campaigning against corporal punishment. The Supreme Court has banned physical punishment in schools.
A classmate of the student told TOI, "Sudha maam was angry at him for missing class without informing her and slapped him. When the boy appeared casual about the issue, she got angrier and reprimanded him sharply and slapped him again. He scribbled something in his notebook and ran outside. By the time we followed him, he had already fallen over the railing."
The child's parents claimed that he was held up by another teacher which resulted in a "minor delay in entering the class". "My son was merely following instructions," his father said.
The boy, reportedly good in studies, was scheduled to undergo surgery in both legs late Thursday night. The boy suffered multiple fractures in his right shin bone and left ankle as well as minor injuries to his face. "It is a miracle that he has escaped with such minor injuries. We have informed the police about the treatment process," said Niloy Mitra, chief administrator of Metro Hospital and Cancer Institute, where the child is admitted.
The victim's family said the school principal and chairman had assured them that action will be taken against the teacher. "We have also been offered financial support by the school but that is not necessary. We just want to get to the bottom of the issue and take care of the boy," claimed his mother, Sangeeta.
School chairman Ashok Jaitley and principal Neeta Jaitley refused to come on record on the incident despite being repeatedly contacted by TOI. Police said the school teachers had initially claimed that the boy fell off the stairs.
"We have registered a case of voluntary hurt and illegal confinement against the teacher, Sudha. We have not asked for the statement of the school as we will rely on the statement of the victim. His statement was recorded in the presence of his father," said I B Irani, additional DCP (east).
The incident comes weeks after Rouvanjit Rawla, student of a prominent Kolkata school -- La Martiniere for Boys -- allegedly committed suicide after being scolded by the principal.
Humiliated and repeatedly slapped by his teacher for coming late to class, an 11-year-old boy jumped off the second floor of his school building in east Delhi on Thursday morning. Miraculously, he survived the fall and is admitted in hospital with multiple fractures in both legs.
The boy, a class VI student at Mother Teresa Public School in Preet Vihar, was returning from an extra class in the zero period -- where he was preparing for an upcoming music competition -- when his class teacher flew into a rage accusing him of reporting late to class. The teacher has been identified as B Sudha.
"In his statement, the boy has said that Sudha slapped and reprimanded him. He has also alleged that he felt humiliated in front of the whole class. He walked out and jumped off the second floor, falling almost 20 feet to the ground," said K C Dwivedi, Additional Commissioner of Police (east). Ironically, the school is located just 500 metres from the headquarters of CBSE which has been campaigning against corporal punishment. The Supreme Court has banned physical punishment in schools.
A classmate of the student told TOI, "Sudha maam was angry at him for missing class without informing her and slapped him. When the boy appeared casual about the issue, she got angrier and reprimanded him sharply and slapped him again. He scribbled something in his notebook and ran outside. By the time we followed him, he had already fallen over the railing."
The child's parents claimed that he was held up by another teacher which resulted in a "minor delay in entering the class". "My son was merely following instructions," his father said.
The boy, reportedly good in studies, was scheduled to undergo surgery in both legs late Thursday night. The boy suffered multiple fractures in his right shin bone and left ankle as well as minor injuries to his face. "It is a miracle that he has escaped with such minor injuries. We have informed the police about the treatment process," said Niloy Mitra, chief administrator of Metro Hospital and Cancer Institute, where the child is admitted.
The victim's family said the school principal and chairman had assured them that action will be taken against the teacher. "We have also been offered financial support by the school but that is not necessary. We just want to get to the bottom of the issue and take care of the boy," claimed his mother, Sangeeta.
School chairman Ashok Jaitley and principal Neeta Jaitley refused to come on record on the incident despite being repeatedly contacted by TOI. Police said the school teachers had initially claimed that the boy fell off the stairs.
"We have registered a case of voluntary hurt and illegal confinement against the teacher, Sudha. We have not asked for the statement of the school as we will rely on the statement of the victim. His statement was recorded in the presence of his father," said I B Irani, additional DCP (east).
The incident comes weeks after Rouvanjit Rawla, student of a prominent Kolkata school -- La Martiniere for Boys -- allegedly committed suicide after being scolded by the principal.
