A nine-year-old Dalit child died on Saturday after reportedly being beaten up by a teacher in a private school in Rajasthan's Jalore district for sipping water from a pot.
The victim, a student at a private school in Surana village, Jalore district, was severely beaten on July 20 and died from his wounds on Saturday at a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
Chail Singh, the accused instructor, was arrested and charged with murder and violating the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the event on Twitter. "The death of a student due to assault by a teacher in a private school in the Sayla police station area of Jalore is tragic. A case was registered under the section of murder and SC/ST Act against the accused and he has been arrested," he tweeted in hindi.
Harsh Vardhan Agarwalla, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Jalore, handed over the matter to the Chief Officer (CO) of Jalore.
Taking to Twitter, Jalore Police replied: "In connection with the said incident, the investigation is being done by CO Jalore after registering the case at the Sayla police station. Taking the matter seriously, the District Superintendent of Police Jalore and CO Jalore reached the spot and investigated the incident. The accused was handcuffed. There is peace on the spot."
The state education department has formed an investigative committee, and Rajasthan SC Commission chairman Khiladi Lal Bairwa has directed that the case be brought up under the case officer's programme for expedited investigation, India Today reported.
The committee has been tasked with reporting to the block education officer.