ONGOLE: Four minor girls were branded with spatula allegedly by their teacher for “mischief” in a residential Madrasa school at Kangiri town, 90 km from here.
The girls in the age group of 10 to 15 suffered burns on their thighs, said Kanigiri Town Circle Inspector M. Subba Rao. One of them with serious burns was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences(RIMS) here for treatment on Saturday, while the rest were treated at the Area Hospital in Kanigiri, he added.
The incident came to light when the father of one of the girls visited on Friday the Madrasa in which about 180 students had been studying. He was shocked to see his daughter crying with unbearable pain, the CI said. The eyes of the girl were swollen with black marks under them after vegetable extracts were allegedly put into them.
After the police registered a case based on her complaint late on Friday, the three other victims picked up courage and approached the police on Saturday. The girls were reportedly subjected to torture for more than a week for allegedly damaging the water tank on the campus, the CI said. Investigation was on to ascertain if any more students were subjected to torture and harassment, said the CI who registered a case under Juvenile Justice Act and under IPC Sections 323(voluntarily causing hurt), 324(Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 340(wrongful confinement) and 506(criminal intimidation).
