Minor student beaten to death for not paying fees

Imphal: A class six student was allegedly beaten to death by school officials as his parents could not pay the fees in time, police said. The police have registered a case against the school officials for beating Suresh Tongbram to death. They will be arrested if the post-mortem report establishes unnatural death, a police source told IANS. "Being a poor farmer, I have been unable to clear the school and hostel fees of Residential Kids Care School in Langol near Imphal where my son was admitted two years back. The school authorities told me to clear the fees or take my son away, but when I went to take him back they said unless the fees are cleared he could not be taken out," Bira Tongbram, Suresh's father, said. "On Friday night, the school officials brought my son. He had bruises all over his body and I was told that my son was punished for being disobedient. The officials left in a huff and told me to clear the fees by August 31," he said. The boy, who had collapsed immediately after reaching home, died on Saturday. The police have sent the body to a hospital for the post-mortem. Bira Tongbram, however, said he will not claim his son's body till justice is served to him. He claimed that his son died of excessive torture by the school officials. The police are investigating the case. The school authorities did not comment on the incident.