Outrage in India over death of six-year-old ‘slapped’ by his teacher

What the report says

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh, in southeast India, have opened an investigation after a six-year-old boy reportedly collapsed and died following an alleged slap by a teacher in a classroom in Visakhapatnam. Al Jazeera reported that the incident was recorded on a school security camera and later circulated by local media, intensifying public anger over corporal punishment in schools.

The state’s education and IT minister, Nara Lokesh, said on social media that legal action was being pursued against those responsible and against the school management. He also said he had ordered a full inquiry and that strict action would follow if anyone was found accountable. Police said they began a case after receiving a written complaint from the boy’s father and were examining the circumstances of the death.

Local media identified the child as Pranay Tej. According to the report, relatives gathered at a hospital and demanded punishment for those involved. The boy’s father told NDTV India that his son had seemed well before leaving for school that morning. Police said the body was returned to the family after inquest and post-mortem procedures, and investigators were awaiting further reports to determine the exact cause of death.

The case has renewed attention on corporal punishment in India. Al Jazeera noted that, despite being officially illegal, it remains a broader concern in schools, particularly for lower-income children, according to a 2018 study cited in the article.