Student organisations at Mumbai University demand justice for Indra Kumar Meghwal

A protest was organised at Mumbai University Campus Gate in Kalina Santacruz (east) by various student organisations on Thursday, demanding justice for Indra Kumar Meghwal, the nine-year-old boy from Rajasthan who died after he was allegedly assaulted by his teacher. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Indra died in an Ahmedabad hospital on August 13, days after he was beaten up by his upper-caste teacher, allegedly for drinking water from a pot meant for the teacher. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Chail Singh, the accused teacher, was arrested the day the child died, with the FIR accusing him of beating up Indra and abusing him with casteist slurs after the boy drank from the drinking water pot. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

“My nephew died because of his caste. Dalits face inhuman treatment in our region. Even today, we have to go several kilometres to find barbers who can cut our hair. Ever since we registered the FIR, we have been living in fear for our own safety,” said Kishore Kumar Meghwal, Indra’s uncle and the complainant in the case. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

As the issue snowballed, Congress MLA from Baran-Atru, Pana Chand Meghwal submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker C P Joshi and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he was “hurt at the constant atrocities being committed upon Dalits and the marginalised, even after 75 years of Independence”. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)

While police have maintained that their investigation so far hasn’t revealed any caste angle to Indra’s death, the family of the Dalit boy insist that the assault by the teacher on July 20 was provoked by the child’s lower caste. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)