Patna, May 22: A hungry seven-year-old, who took food from his friend’s shelf without asking, was caned 32 times by his school’s teacher-cum-warden Mihir Mishra.

Ashutosh Kumar Singh, the Class II student of Vishal National Public School, Purnea, was reportedly lashed with a cane by Mishra on May 20 morning because he “stole” daalmut (a snack) from his friend’s shelf because he was hungry.

Though the boy explained that there was nothing else for him to eat and apologised, Mishra was not appeased and caned the boy at least 32 times.

“After the beating, the wound marks were visible all over his hips and back,” said an eyewitness on condition of anonymity.

Ashutosh’s farther, Tribhubhan Singh, is a driver with the enforcement directorate office at Madhepura. Singh came to Purnea after the incident and lodged a case against the teacher and the school management under the Sahayak police station.

Sahayak police station in-charge Vaidik Pathak told The Telegraph: “We have lodged a complaint against the teacher and the school. We have also conducted two raids at the school.”

The warden has been absconding since the incident.

Pathak claimed that he did not know much about the school’s take on corporal punishment. But he said that he had taken the matter very seriously.

Meanwhile, the school principal, Ashok Tiwari, met the police yesterday and stressed that the teacher was suspended with immediate effect after the incident was reported.

The boy’s father has taken the boy to Madhepura (his home) and he may be withdrawn from the school.