AGRA, INDIA -- A hungry two-and-a-half-year-old boy was allegedly slapped so hard by a teacher for asking for food at his older siblings' school during a mid-day meal service that he has lost his hearing. Doctors have confirmed that the minor has suffered "at least partial loss of hearing" after the incident which took place in Mansukh Pura, Bah, on Wednesday.
The boy, Rajat Singh, had on Wednesday gone to the government school where his three older siblings Rohini Singh, Radha Singh and Rohit Singh study. During the mid-day meal he sought food from teacher Raghuvir Raghuvir, who then slapped the minor as he was "not a part of the school".
"My son has lost his hearing ability in one ear," said Rajat's father Shyamvir Singh, "Rajat is yet to enrol in primary school but he wanted to attend class with his brother and sisters. He was hungry and asked for food, when Raghuvir slapped him hard on the face. The slap caused Rajat's ear to bleed. Later we found out from doctors that he had partially lost his hearing ability."
Rubbishing Shyamvir's claims, the accused teacher, Raghuvir, told TOI: "Shyamvir is not telling the truth. The child was normal till the end of school. The matter was sensationalized after the child reached home."
He said, "I did slap Rajat for wandering around the school ground alone, where stray dogs could have attacked and hurt him. The blame for that would have fallen on me for being negligent."
A written complaint has been received in the matter from Shyamvir Singh and police said they will take the appropriate course of action after conducting a thorough investigation. Source
