Rajasthan gurukul warden detained for branding students with hot iron rod

NEW DELHI: A case of alleged child abuse has come to light at a gurukul in Rajasthan's Barmer district where a teacher-cum-warden is accused of branding two children -- aged around 10 and 11 -- with a hot iron rod to "discipline" them for bed-wetting, officials said on Thursday. The alleged incident took place on August 17 at a gurukul in the Harpaliya village of Sedwa area, run by Harpaleshwar Mahadev Vikas Seva Samiti.

According to officials, the gurukul, operational since 2022, houses children from poor, nomadic and orphaned families. Police said the matter surfaced after one of the children fled the gurukul at night and informed his family about the alleged torture. Villagers later gathered outside the institution, demanding strict action after a purported video showing the children's burn injuries and their accounts of alleged mistreatment went viral. Chauhatan Deputy SP Jeevanlal Khatri confirmed that Narayan Giri, a resident of Bharatpur and warden-cum-teacher at the gurukul, has been detained.

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Probe panel visits Gurukul

"A viral video showed children alleging that they were branded with a hot rod. Following this, we took Narayan Giri into custody," Khatri said. Block Education Officer (BEO) Prakash Chand Vishnoi said a departmental probe has been initiated. "A committee has been formed to investigate the incident. We have visited the gurukul, interacted with the children, their parents and staff. The report will be submitted soon," Vishnoi said. According to the preliminary probe, the accused allegedly branded the children after they wet their beds while asleep.

"The children have also alleged physical assault and threats to silence them," an official familiar with the inquiry said. The viral video also showed villagers accusing the warden of assaulting them with sticks in the past. Authorities said the investigation will also examine whether proper monitoring of the gurukul was being carried out. Meanwhile, parents and locals demanded strict legal action and closure of the gurukul if found guilty of negligence.