FAISALABAD: A teacher of Govt Boys Primary School, Chak 34-JB, was arrested for torturing a seven-year-old child publicly and hitting a man with a hammer who tried to save the victim.

The Sandal Bar police took the suspect, identified as Zeeshan, into custody and sent the child, Shahzeb, and the man, Shoaib Mukhtar, to hospital for their medical examination.

Mukhtar told the police that he was passing by the school when he saw Zeeshan holding the student from his leg and hanging him upside down. The teacher got infuriated when he had asked him to refrain from torturing the boy, he said and added that Zeeshan went inside the classroom and turned up with a hammer. Zeeshan first attacked Shahzeb with the hammer and then he hit me with the same tool, he said and added that hearing the hue and cry more people gathered who intervened, rescued them and pacified Zeeshan.

Mukhtar has a wound on his back and the boy has some bruises on different body parts.

The arrested teacher started weeping at the police station when the reporters asked him why he had subjected the boy to torture.

An education department official said Zeeshan was facing psychological issues and the incident would be reported to the higher authorities for further action.

The education officer said Zeeshan had been serving at the school for the last eight months and his medical examination had been conducted prior to his induction as a teacher. He said the department had received no earlier complaints against the teacher.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018