A shocking incident has emerged from Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh, where a 15-year-old Dalit student was allegedly beaten brutally by his teacher merely for touching a water bottle. The incident took place on Saturday at a private higher secondary school in Haripur village. The student, who is in Class 11, sustained severe injuries, including fractures in two fingers and bruises on his thigh, shoulder, and jaw.
According to the student, he was thirsty and picked up a water bottle from the table. As soon as he touched it, his teacher, Mangal Singh Shakya, from an upper-caste Hindu community, became furious. The teacher allegedly made a casteist remark, saying, “How dare you touch the bottle? Now it’s untouchable. Who will drink from it now?” He then locked the student inside a room after school and assaulted him brutally. When the student threatened to inform his parents, the teacher allegedly beat him again.
After the incident, the student attempted to file a complaint at the Kishani police station but alleged that the police did not take any action. Frustrated, he met Mainpuri SSP Ganesh Prasad Saha on April 1, who assured him of an investigation. Following this, an FIR was registered at Kishani police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 117(2) (causing grievous hurt), Section 127(2) (wrongful confinement), Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation), Section 352 (insult to provoke breach of peace), along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation is being led by DSP Bhogaon Satya Prakash Sharma.
Denying allegations of police inaction, SSP Saha stated to Times of india, “It is incorrect to say the complaint was ignored. A case has been registered at Kishani police station, and the ASP (City) is supervising the investigation.”
Meanwhile, school manager Rakesh Chauhan dismissed the allegations, claiming that the student had already graduated in the 2023-24 session and had only come to collect a character certificate. Chauhan stated that since neither the principal nor he was present that day, the clerk asked the student to return on Tuesday. Allegedly, the student misbehaved with the clerk and tore a register. Hearing the commotion, other staff members tried to control the situation.
The manager acknowledged that the teacher might have used some force to restrain the student but called the allegations of assault over touching a water bottle “baseless.”
