An eight-year-old Dalit student was allegedly beaten and subjected to caste-based abuse by a government school teacher in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district after he drank water from the teacher’s bottle, prompting police to register a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The alleged incident took place at a government primary school in Ukawal village under Kolaras tehsil, where the Class 4 student had reportedly taken water from the bottle of his teacher, Lokesh Sharma, after feeling thirsty during school hours.
According to the complaint, the teacher became enraged after seeing the child drink from his bottle. The student alleged that the teacher used a caste slur, saying, “You Chamar, don’t touch my bottle,” before assaulting him with a stick inside the classroom.
The Chamar community is one of the largest Scheduled Caste communities in Madhya Pradesh and has historically faced caste-based discrimination.
Student Returned Home Crying
After the alleged assault, the child returned home in tears and narrated the incident to his family. Shocked by his account, family members approached the police and lodged a complaint against the teacher.
Videos of the student recounting the incident have since surfaced on social media, drawing widespread outrage.
According to reports, three classmates who witnessed the incident supported the student’s version, alleging that the teacher used casteist remarks, objected to the child touching the bottle, and beat him in front of other students.
Police Register Case
Based on the family’s complaint, Lukwasa police outpost under Kolaras police station registered an FIR against the accused teacher, Lokesh Sharma.
Police have invoked Sections 296(A) and 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Police officials said the matter is under investigation and that further action will be taken based on the evidence collected.
Activists Condemn Alleged Caste Abuse
Anti-caste activist Saurabh Kumar Bauddh condemned the incident, saying, “The entire world must see the heinous caste humiliation our kids face since childhood.”
Bauddh said he had spoken to the child’s father, identified as Raju Jatav, and added, “Casteist Lokesh Sharma will never be forgiven. Those behind the ‘Reservation Hatao’ movement should see the truth.”
Ambedkarite advocacy platform The Dalit Voice also reacted to the incident, stating, “A child being treated as ‘untouchable’ inside a classroom is a reminder that casteism is not history; it is a lived reality.”
