Hyderabad: A nine-year-old student of Class III, attempted suicide in Wanaparthy district after being beaten up by his teacher. The boy immolated himself after his teacher hit him for not learning a Telugu poem that had been taught three days previously. He is being treated at Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad with 80 per cent burns.

Anand is a resident of Serlipally in Sriranga-pur mandal and a student at the local government primary school. He was given a Telugu poem to learn three days back.

Kid said teacher humiliated him
On Thursday, his teacher asked him if he had learned the poem, to which he replied that he had not. The teacher then beat up the student.

Anand’s father Naganna said that the boy had told him that the teacher had hit him extremely hard and that he had been humiliated in front of the class. At home, the boy emptied a can of kerosene on himself and set himself ablaze. He suffered over 80 per cent burns and was rushed to Mahbub-nagar district hospital and later shifted to Gandhi Hospital.

Kothakota inspector B. Somnarayana Singh said the police was looking into the incident. The boy’s teachers have switched off their mobile phones and are absconding, police said.