In Karnataka’s Raichur, a Class 3 child was allegedly beaten with firewood, tortured, and locked up in a room for three days at an ashram after stealing a pen, his relatives claimed on Sunday.
Case filed against accused Venugopal and two others
Venugopal, the in-charge, and his assistants severely hurt Tarun Kumar, the child residing at the Ramakrishna Ashram in Raichur. A case has been filed against the accused.
“Two older boys and a teacher struck me. They hit me with firewood, and when it broke, they used a bat. The beating also caused cuts on my body. I was taken to Yagdir to beg for alms at the railway station, but I didn’t get any money,” the child explained.
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The boy sustained numerous injuries
The incident left the boy with many injuries and fully swollen eyes. He has been hospitalized and is being treated.
According to the boy’s relatives, he was staying at the ashram due to their financial difficulties. While playing, his friends accused him of stealing a pen and reported the matter to the ashram authorities, who brutally beat the child. Tarun’s mother discovered the occurrence during a visit to the Ramakrishna Ashram.
“My son’s name is Tarun Kumar. He is in third standard. My other son, Arun Kumar, is in fifth standard. I left them both in the ashram. When I went to see them, my elder son, Arun, told me about Tarun’s assualted and how his face was bruised,” the mother stated.
The mother denied that her son stole a pen, stating, “He just picked up a pen that had fallen and placed it elsewhere.”
“My son didn’t have a pen, so another boy gave it to him on Saturday. When searching for the pen on Sunday, the teacher discovered it with my kid, and the entire event revolved around a pen,” she explained.
Sudarshan, a child rights activist, stated that the boy has been rescued, and that the issue has been reported with government officials at the Women and Child Welfare Ministry. An FIR has been filed against the suspects, he stated.
