A minor boy from Phagwara in Kapurthala district, who was undergoing physical training for armed forces recruitment exam at a private academy at Bhucho Mandi in Bathinda district, was allegedly assaulted by the academy owner on Thursday. The incident was caught on camera, and the video has gone viral on social media.
The boy, aged about 17, is currently admitted to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda, where he is undergoing treatment.
The victim’s mother alleged, “My son told me that he had gone to a girl’s room in the paying guest (PG) accommodation only to provide first aid after she suffered an injury on her foot. However, when the academy owner came to know about it, he assaulted my son while under the influence of liquor, using an iron rod, besides punching, slapping and kicking him in his abdomen."
Meanwhile, Bhucho DSP Pritpal Singh said that the police had initiated an investigation into the incident. “A strict action will be taken in this regard, but the family has not yet given us a complaint," said the DSP.
The academy owner, Gurjant Singh, however, told The Tribune that the boy had gone into a girl’s room in a private PG accommodation and was thus punished.
“The PG is not run by the academy, but both the girls and the boy are our students. When the girls complained to me that the boy had entered a girl’s room, I went there and thrashed him. The police have recorded my statement, and the girls have also given their statements in this regard. I had simply gone there on humanitarian grounds. There had been a complaint against this boy in the past as well. The PG accommodation’s owner was out of station yesterday," said Gurjant.
However, the injured boy’s mother demanded that the academy be shut down and that strict legal action be taken against its owner.
