A nine-year-old Dalit boy, Inder Meghwal, tragically passed away in Ahmedabad, 24 days after being assaulted by a teacher in his school in Jalore district, Rajasthan. The assault occurred on July 20 at Saraswati Vidya Mandir school in Surana village, allegedly because the boy drank water from an earthen pot reserved for teachers from higher castes.
Inder, a Class III student, was severely beaten by his teacher, Chhail Singh, after he drank from the pot. The teacher allegedly used casteist slurs during the assault. Inder's father, Deva Ram, reported the incident to the police, and the child was initially treated at hospitals in Jalore and Udaipur before being referred to Ahmedabad for further care. Despite medical efforts, the boy died due to internal injuries.
A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered. Police have detained the teacher for questioning, though the caste-based nature of the assault is still under investigation. The Education Department has also initiated an inquiry into the matter.