Dalit Class 1 Student in Shimla Allegedly Tortured by Teachers, Scorpion Placed in Pant

In Shimla district, a young Dalit boy reportedly endured caste-based discrimination and physical abuse at a government school. The headmaster and two teachers allegedly placed a scorpion in his pants. Police have charged the educators under the SC/ST Act for their actions.

The boy's father, whose son is in Class 1 at Government Primary School in Khaddapani, accused headmaster Devendra and teachers Babu Ram and Kritika Thakur of frequent assaults over nearly a year. These beatings once led to ear bleeding and eardrum damage.

Allegations of Threats and Intimidation

The father claimed that on October 30, the headmaster threatened to expel his son from school. The headmaster allegedly warned the boy, "We will burn you," while also threatening the father against filing complaints or posting on social media.

Police registered a case under sections related to confinement, assault, criminal intimidation, and child cruelty. The SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was applied due to acts degrading human dignity, such as forcing the boy to remove his clothes.

Caste Discrimination in School

The father further alleged that caste bias was prevalent at the school. He stated that Nepali and Harijan students were made to sit separately from Rajput students during meals. This reflects broader issues of caste discrimination within educational settings.

Rohru has witnessed similar incidents before. Recently, a teacher in Gawana was suspended for beating a student with a prickly bush. Earlier, a 12-year-old Dalit boy reportedly died by suicide after being locked in a cowshed by upper-caste women for entering their home.