Indian boy dies after school punishment, parents say

Feb 22, 2012, 6:04 GMT

New Delhi - The parents of a 6-year-old Indian boy have filed a complaint with the police, saying their son fell ill and died after he was locked in a dark schoolroom for hours for not doing his homework, news reports said Tuesday.

Pankaj Singh died in hospital on Sunday, six weeks after his punishment, which had caused him mental stress, his parents Jaiver and Reena Singh were quoted as saying by Zeenews television.

He was locked in a dark room on December 27 for not doing his homework by a teacher at a state-run school in Gharounda town, Haryana state in northern India.

His elder brother found him unconscious in the room after the school had closed for the day, IANS reported.

Pankaj stopped eating after the incident, fell seriously ill and was admitted to the PGMIS Hospital in Rohtak town, his parents said.

'We are seeking action against the teacher and school authorities. How can a small boy be treated like this simply for not doing his homework?' Dilbagh Singh, a relative, was quoted as saying.

The school's manager Bablu Rana has claimed that the boy succumbed to a disease he was suffering from, police said.