Seven-year-old caned at government school in TN, teacher refuses to pay medical bill

A Class 2 student of a government union middle school at Elachipalayam near Karumathampatti has been hospitalised with a serious hand injury after she was allegedly caned by her teacher earlier this month.

Hashini, 7, was playing on the school premises on November 7 afternoon, after class hours, when the teacher Periyanayagi allegedly called her aside and struck her on the left elbow with a cane.

"When she came home, we saw swelling on her hand and applied some ointment, but there was no reduction in the inflammation. We took her to a private hospital in Avinashi on November 13 and she was admitted due to severe inflammation," said her mother, Parimala, who along with her husband Sriram, works as a weaver in a private power loom unit.

The police in Karumathampatti registered a complaint at the hospital, after which the teacher apolozised and promised to bear the treatment expenses. Later, the parents withdrew their complaint.

But the child was later shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where the doctors removed the dead tissue near the elbow and advised further treatment, including skin replacement. Parimala said the teacher refused to pay the medical expenses which exceeded Rs 40,000.

Following the complaint, the parents of the girl asked the police to take action against the teacher. Inspector C Vadivel Kumar of Karumathampatti station, told TNIE, “Earlier, the parents withdrew the complaint after the teacher accepted to bear the medical expenses. As they sought to accept the complaint, we are waiting for the court’s order for further action as it was a non-cognisable offence.”