Chennai: In a heart-rending incident, a fifth standard student committed self-immolation by setting himself on fire at his residence in Cholavaram in adjoining Tiruvallur district in Chennai.
The boy took the extreme step after one of his teachers allegedly rebuked him for getting low marks in Tamil subject.
Acting on a complaint from the boy’s mother, police have arrested the teacher and remanded her to judicial custody.
It all happened on September 17, when the 10-year-old Antony Prateesh was taking his Tamil quarterly exams.
During the course of exam, the teacher, Vijayalakshmi snatched the answer papers and shouted at him. She also reportedly told Prateesh that if he continued to do badly in Tamil he would be demoted to fourth standard .
Despite being a class topper, the boy was scoring low marks in Tamil.
Upset over this, Prateesh, son of a lorry driver, narrated the tale of to his mother, who too chided him, adding fuel to the fire.
Though his mother tried to console him, a dejected Prateesh, picked up the kerosene can, went to the terrace and set himself on fire.
As his mother was not at home, the neighbours, hearing his cries, rushed him to the burns ward of the Government Kilpauk Medical College hospital.
Prateesh, who had suffered more than 80 per cent burns, was declared dead.
Following a complaint, police arrested the teacher and remanded her to judicial custody.
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