Hot tea poured on class IV student for being absent

Hot tea was allegedly poured on a class IV student as a punishment for being absent at a government-aided school in north Kolkata.
The parents of the nine-year-old boy have claimed that the hot beverage was poured on him by a sweeper at the instruction of a teacher to punish him for absenteeism.
According to the parents, the boy returned home from school yesterday with burn injuries on the right side of his face and other parts of his body.
Stating that the act was deliberate and not an accident, the parents alleged that their son, who was writhing in pain, was hurriedly taken to a state-run hospital by the school authorities without informing them.

The school principal remained unavailable for comment.
A complaint has been registered and the school authorities have been asked to explain if it was a deliberate act or an accident, police said.
Meanwhile, the parents of the student staged a demonstration outside school demanding immediate suspension of the sweeper and the teacher.