Aurangabad:
A 16-year-old student was subjected to brutal corporal punishment not only from his teacher but also from his peers at a Madrasa in Maharashtra. His crime: alleged theft of a watch worth Rs 100.
The student, from Surat, was enrolled at Jamia Burhanul Uloom Madrasa in Aurangabad, the city recently renamed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The disturbing incident occurred when the teenager allegedly stole an automatic watch from a nearby store. The theft was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the area.
When the shopkeeper discovered the theft, he immediately filed a complaint, which led to the recovery of the stolen item. However, the situation took a grim turn when the cleric of the Madrasa, identified as Maulana Syed Omar Ali, decided to inflict a 'brutal punishment' on the young student. Stripped half-naked, the teenager was subjected to spitting and systematic beatings by his fellow students, all allegedly on the orders of the cleric.
The incident was caught on camera and the footage eventually reached the victim's family, who wasted no time in filing a complaint with the local police. A case was filed against the cleric and he was booked under the Small Students Protection Act.
The minors who took part in the abuse were later given counseling while legal proceedings against the cleric are ongoing.