Nalgonda: A government welfare hostel, employed by his teacher to cut a tree in his agriculture fields, drowned in a farm well on Sunday. Police said the teacher, K. Veera Babu, is absconding.
Fifteen-year-old Gogulothu Thirumalesh, who was preparing for his SSC exams in the government school, and staying in a government-run social welfare hostel at Shantinagar, in Anantagiri mandal, drowned in the well located nearby. He was a native of Nakkagudem in Chithalapalem mandal.
Police said Veera Babu took Thirumalesh and K. Tarun to his agricultural field along with him for the cutting of a tree. After the work was done, Veera Babu took the students to an agricultural well for swimming. He did not ask them if they knew swimming.
Police said Veera Babu entered the water and Thirumalesh followed him. Veera Babu came out from the water after a couple of minutes, but Thirumalesh did not. Instead of trying to locate Thirumalesh, police said, Veera Babu escaped from the place.
Tarun rushed to the hostel and informed the officials. Alerted by them, locals rushed to the well and searched the water and found the body of Thirumalesh. The body was shifted to an area hospital at Kodad for autopsy.
Thirumalesh’s parents expressed doubt over the incident. His relatives reached the government hospital at Kodad and held a protest demonstration, seeking action against the tutor.
Mandal education officer K. Srinivas Rao said that an action would be taken against those involved, following an inquiry. He called the incident a major lapse in maintaining the hostel.
Sub-inspector Naveen Kumar stated that a case was filed and took up inquiry into the incident.
