What started out as a prank by some students in a school in Andhra Pradesh to bully a Class 1 student, led to his tragic death, as he was locked up in a toilet for several hours.
The incident took place on August 17 at a government school in Punganur in the state's Chittoor district. The boy was identified as 6-year-old Harshavardhan.
“The boy had gone to use the bathroom. He was found unconscious inside with the door locked from outside. The hostel warden, who opened the door after hearing some noise from the restroom, rushed him to a local government hospital where he was pronounced dead while receiving treatment,” Punganur Police Station House Officer Arun Kumar told ToI.
The doctors who treated the minor said that he had been suffering from a fever, which could have worsened as he was locked up for a few hours.
On learning about the incident, the boy's family members staged a protest at the school, demanding strict action against the accused responsible for the death. The Education Department has initiated an enquiry and said that further details will be revealed soon.
Just earlier this month, the Andhra Pradesh police had detained a 14-year-old minor in conflict with the law, for allegedly murdering an 8-year-old student at a government-run hostel in the state's Krishna district.
Dasari Aditya, a Class 3 student, was found in a pool of blood in a washroom of the hostel, which is meant for Backward Classes. The boy had injuries on the neck, seemingly inflicted with a sharp object, later identified to be a kitchen knife.
After conducting a preliminary investigation, the police said that a 14-year-old, who is a student of Class 10, has been held in connection with the crime.
The police said that the minor in conflict with the law had confessed to his crime and said that he carried out the murder after a fight with Aditya over a trivial issue.