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Journalism of Courage
A Sanskrit school teacher in Karnataka was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly brutally assaulting a nine-year-old student. The incident in Chitradurga district, believed to have taken place many months ago, came to light recently after a video of the teacher hitting the student went viral on Monday.
The police have arrested Veeresh Hiremath, the teacher at the Sanskrit Vedadhyayan school in Nayakanhatti, Challakere taluk. In the video, Hiremath can be seen hitting the student’s head and back before pushing him with his foot after the boy reportedly contacted his grandmother by phone, said an officer.
According to the officer, Hiremath continued the attack despite the boy raising his hands defensively. Residents alleged that attempts were made to suppress the case.
The incident recorded on a mobile camera drew condemnation from government officials, including Minister of Women and Child Development Lakshmi Hebbalkar.
According to a preliminary investigation, the incident occurred in February.
“There was no complaint then. After the video went viral, a complaint was filed, and Chitradurga police arrested Hiremath from Kalaburagi. We will further interrogate to know more details about the case,” Ranjith Kumar Bandaru, Superintendent of Police, Chitradurga, said.
The viral footage triggered public protests outside the school, with residents demanding accountability from the administration. Following the traumatic incident, the student reportedly experienced severe distress and attempted self-harm near a lake, a police officer said. He has since been transferred to another school, he added.
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