Corporal punishment: Boy’s legs broken ‘for making mistakes’
Doctor says it is likely his backbone is also affected.
MULTAN:
A 15-year-old was taken to a hospital on Wednesday after he was allegedly beaten by a teacher at a seminary.
Police said Abu Bakar, a student at Jamia Rehmania, was a Hafiz-i-Quran and was now revising it at the madrassa. They said on Wednesday Vice Principal Qari Kaleemullah hit Abu Bakar on the legs with a wooden stick for making some mistakes while reciting some verses. They said the boy fainted from the beating.
Some students at the seminary informed Abu Bakar’s father, Manzoor, who took him to the trauma centre at the district headquarters hospital, from where the boy was referred to Nishtar Hospital in Multan owing to critical condition.
Manzoor told The Express Tribune that Abu Bakar was lying unconscious when he arrived at the school.
Dr Hamid Hayat, the deputy medical superintendent at the DHQ hospital said the boy had suffered several fractures in both legs.
He said it was likely that his backbone had been affected.
He said timely treatment could help him recover, which he said, might take several months. He said the boy was referred to Nishtar Hospital owing to his critical condition.
Both Qari Kaleem and the seminary principal, Maulana Qasim, declined comment. Qari Naeem, a teacher at the seminary, however, said it was unusual for a student to be beaten. He said Qari Kaleem had never beaten any student.
“He has just had a kidney transplant. I doubt that he can be so violent,” he said.
Civil Lines police have registered a case against Qari Kaleem on Manzoor’s complaint.
SHO Ali Imran told The Tribune that he was waiting for a report
from the hospital on the extent and nature of the injuries. Investigations will begin as soon as the medical report was received, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2012.
A 15-year-old was taken to a hospital on Wednesday after he was allegedly beaten by a teacher at a seminary.
Police said Abu Bakar, a student at Jamia Rehmania, was a Hafiz-i-Quran and was now revising it at the madrassa. They said on Wednesday Vice Principal Qari Kaleemullah hit Abu Bakar on the legs with a wooden stick for making some mistakes while reciting some verses. They said the boy fainted from the beating.
Some students at the seminary informed Abu Bakar’s father, Manzoor, who took him to the trauma centre at the district headquarters hospital, from where the boy was referred to Nishtar Hospital in Multan owing to critical condition.
Manzoor told The Express Tribune that Abu Bakar was lying unconscious when he arrived at the school.
Dr Hamid Hayat, the deputy medical superintendent at the DHQ hospital said the boy had suffered several fractures in both legs.
He said it was likely that his backbone had been affected.
He said timely treatment could help him recover, which he said, might take several months. He said the boy was referred to Nishtar Hospital owing to his critical condition.
Both Qari Kaleem and the seminary principal, Maulana Qasim, declined comment. Qari Naeem, a teacher at the seminary, however, said it was unusual for a student to be beaten. He said Qari Kaleem had never beaten any student.
“He has just had a kidney transplant. I doubt that he can be so violent,” he said.
Civil Lines police have registered a case against Qari Kaleem on Manzoor’s complaint.
SHO Ali Imran told The Tribune that he was waiting for a report
from the hospital on the extent and nature of the injuries. Investigations will begin as soon as the medical report was received, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2012.