Visakhapatnam: In another alleged incident of corporal punishment, teachers of a government school punished two students who had to be hospitalised. The incident took place on Tuesday at Maradapalem area in Bheemili mandal.

Teacher Anil Kumar Raja lost his cool when two students, who are brothers - Surya Teja, Class IV and Dilip Kumar, Class V student, failed to do their homework. The teacher asked them to remove their shirts and stand under the scorching sun. The students allegedly collapsed after standing for around three hours.

Rani Kumari and Anil Kumar are working in the mandal parishad primary school and both were taking classes on Tuesday in a single room. When contacted, mandal educational officer Saibaba said the two teachers were responsible for the punishment according to the students. He said he would be submitting his report to the district educational officer for necessary action and no police case has been registered. DEO M.V. Krishna Reddy said they would take departmental action against the responsible teachers if found guilty.

M. Anil Kumar of said the mother of the students forced them to punish the children for not studying well. The father, who observed the children without shirts, lodged a complaint with the ward member and the village sarpanch. But as part of reconciliation measures, the mother admitted in the presence of village elders that she had forced the teachers to punish the kids. They had no intention to punish the children.