Karnataka Teacher Burns Dalit Boy's Private Parts; 'Not Intentional,' Say Police

The teacher has been suspended from her post and booked under the Juvenile Justice Act.

(Image for representation)

(Photo: Twitter/@JeongPark52)

(Trigger warning: Mentions of caste atrocity, violence)

A case was filed on Friday, 2 September, against KP Rashmi, a teacher at an Anganwadi in Karnataka's Tumakuru who allegedly burnt the private parts of a student on 22 August.

The teacher was irked over the three-year-old Dalit student's habit of frequently wetting his pants.

While a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged in the case of negligence, and the teacher booked under the Juvenile Justice Act, the Karnataka Police said that the incident was "not intentional."

Speaking to The Quint, Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad, the superintendent of police in Tumakuru, said, "We visited the village several times to check on the child. He is currently safe and is being taken care of by his father. A case of negligence has been registered after CDPO approached us. The villagers and the family said that the incident was not intentional in nature."

According to sources, the teacher lit a match stick and threatened the boy saying she would light his scrotum on fire if he didn't stop urinating in his pants. She then accidentally injured the boy. Although he suffered a few burns, the boy is out of danger.

The teacher has since been suspended by the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) who conducted an inquiry into the matter.