Teacher inflicts deafening slap

NEW DELHI, AUG 28: He did not listen to his teacher, not carefully enough at least. And now, he may probably never hear from his left ear...

NEW DELHI, AUG 28: He did not listen to his teacher, not carefully enough at least. And now, he may probably never hear from his left ear again.

Fifteen-year-old Keshav Kumar, a student of Sanatan Dharam Secondary School Gujarati medium in Kirti Nagar, was allegedly beaten so badly by a teacher that his left ear drum burst. Doctors, who have examined him, have said that his left ear drum has been perforated and he has lost his capacity to hear from the left ear.

Despite the damage, the school authorities and the police continue to ignore the complaints filed by the victim8217;s mother.

Recounting the incident, Keshav said: 8220;I had not done my holiday homework. So when the school reopened and my maths teacher found out, he got very angry. He slapped me, really hard and several times on the face and head.8221;Keshav says that though his ear started hurting, he sat through school and it was only in the evening that his cousin took him to a doctor. 8220;My mother works as a domestic help and she was not at home. SoI want to my cousin8217;s, who lives close by. When I told him that my ear was hurting and he saw the fluid dripping out of my ear, he took me to a doctor,8221; says Keshav.

Keshav8217;s mother, Omvati, who has spent the last month-and-a-half running from pillar to post seeking help, says: 8220;It has been very difficult for me to pay for his medical expenses. I lost my husband four years ago and I earn barely enough to feed myself and my four children.8221;

Omvati adds: 8220;My son was beaten up on July 7. I did not even think of approaching the school authorities or the police for help. It was only when I went to pay his fees on July 20 and they refused to take it, that I went and complained to the police. After that I went back to the school along with a copy of the complaint and then they were very nice to me. 8221;

Omvati says that she had even written to the Education Directorate asking for help, but they haven8217;t taken any action yet. 8220;I had pointed to the directorate that my younger son also studies in the same schooland I am scared that they might harm him too,8221; she says.

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Police officials from Kirti Nagar police station, where the case was registered only on August 17, even though she had filed a complaint on July 20, say that they were busy with the elections and so had not been able to collect enough evidence against the teacher. 8220;We are not shielding the accused. We are investigating the matter and once we have enough supporting evidence, we shall arrest him,8221; said the officer investigating the case.