An eight-year-old Dalit boy was thrashed and targeted with racial slurs by a teacher in a government school in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district for drinking water from his bottle, officials said on Friday (July 31, 2026). 

According to officials, the incident took place on July 28 in a government primary school in Ukawal village under the Kolaras police station area, where the teacher, Lokesh Sharma, beat up the class 4 student using a cane in front of his fellow students after which the boy narrated the incident to her parents.  

Speaking to The Hindu, Shivpuri Superintendent of Police (SP) Yangchen Dolkar Bhutia said that an FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the BNS and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint from the student’s family. The teacher has been questioned in the matter, she said. 

As per the complaint, Ms. Bhutia said the teacher hit him on the hands with a cane and used racial slurs against him.

“The family and the boy have alleged that the incident took place as he drank water from the teacher’s bottle. The teacher, however, is denying the allegation and is saying that he scolded the boy over the homework,” she said. 

Ms. Bhutia also said that the police have also taken statements from the boy’s schoolmates. 

“They are confirming the beating up but are unclear on the reason. We have also looked into the teacher’s record but have not found any such incident or complaint,” she said, adding that the police are probing the case from all angles.