Religious teacher under probe over severe caning of pupils

A 'ustaz' (religious teacher) is being held under remand for four days from today to assist a police probe into caning injuries suffered by three male pupils at a religious school here.

The 27-year-old ustaz was arrested in Parit Buntar, Perak, at 10.10pm yesterday after the incident at the school went viral over social media, said Kuala Muda Police chief ACP Md Zukir Md Isa today.

He told Bernama the teacher was being remanded under Section 324 of the Penal Code relating to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

The penalty, upon conviction, is imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with whipping or any two of such punishments.

Md Zukir said the police had recorded statements from two of the pupils, aged 12 and 10, from Tikam Batu, Sungai Petani, and Bayan Lepas, Penang. The third pupil had yet to be contacted, he added.

Md Zukir said a preliminary police investigation found that the pupils were caned for leaving the school at dawn last Monday.

He said the ustaz, who was a replacement teacher, caught the boys near the Kuala Muda Police headquarters, brought them back to the school and caned them in the presence of their classmates.

"The three pupils suffered bruises all over the body and injuries to the head," he said.

Photographs of the pupils with the bruises and injuries went viral on social media with the message that they had been beaten like criminals.