Punishment claims Karnataka schoolboy's life

The issue of corporal punishment in schools has once again reared its ugly head in the country after the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy from Karnataka. Afzal Fayaz, a student of New English School from Honnavar, Uttar Kanannad in the coastal belt of Karnataka, collapsed and died after he was ordered to jog around the school playground as punishment.    

The police, who are investigating the case, say that Afzal was punished because he remained absent from school for two days since he was attending a family function. They physical education teacher asked him to run four rounds of the playground. But, after completing two rounds, the teenager complained that he could not run anymore.  The teacher, however, paid no heed, allegedly slapped him and asked him to continue running. In the middle of the fourth lap, the boy became breathless and collapsed, police sources informed.

School authorities rushed him to a hospital, but doctors declared he was brought dead. Afzal's body has been taken for a postmortem.

CT Jayakumar, deputy director of public instructions, Uttar Kannada, said they are looking into the matter and also informed that the teacher K Naik and the school principal G T Hebbar have been arrested.

The news of the boy's death spread like wild fire and the public attacked the school and started pelting stones. The angry mob destroyed school property and went on a rampage on the school premises till the police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. One person was injured in this clash and was taken to a hospital.