Staff Reporter, Tinsukia, February 7: Grief and outrage have swept across Phillobari following the tragic death of a Class VIII student of Sankardev Sishu Niketan, who allegedly succumbed to injuries after being beaten by a teacher on the school premises. The deceased, identified as Utpal Taye, passed away on Friday night at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh, where he had been undergoing treatment since Thursday.
According to allegations, the incident took place during the school’s closing prayer assembly on Thursday. Utpal, along with a few classmates, was reportedly creating a disturbance when a teacher, identified as Sanjib Sharma, allegedly struck him with a stick. Although the student initially appeared normal, he later complained of severe headache while at the hostel run by the school principal, where he had been residing.
He was first taken to a local doctor and subsequently shifted to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Civil Hospital in Tinsukia for a CT scan. On medical advice, he was referred to AMCH, Dibrugarh, where he succumbed despite medical intervention. Utpal Taye, son of Ganesh Taye of Amguri Kopahatoli in Sivasagar district, had been living in Phillobari since early childhood at his maternal home.
News of the young boy’s death triggered strong public reaction, with several organisations staging protests at Phillobari Tiniali and outside the school premises. Demonstrators burnt tyres and demanded strict punishment for the accused teacher, a comprehensive inquiry involving all staff members, and adequate compensation for the bereaved family.
The school’s managing committee expressed deep sorrow over the incident and convened an emergency meeting on Friday. The accused teacher has been placed under suspension, and an inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter. Acting on information from the school authorities, Phillobari Police arrested the teacher, and further investigation is currently underway. The sudden loss of the young student has cast a pall of mourning across the locality, with residents expressing disbelief that such a tragedy could occur within an educational institution.
