An eight-year-old student has died after he was allegedly beaten by his teacher for failing to solve an arithmetic problem in the village school of Balsokra, in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

Sujit Munda had complained of severe body pain and died on Sunday, reports say.

Reports quoted pupils at the Government Middle School at Barhat, neighbours and the family as saying the boy was in severe pain after the beating. The teacher, Mohammad Arshad Hussain, 45, is absconding.

Munda’s father, a local farmer, has filed a police complaint against the teacher.

Following investigation police officials said the teacher had caned Sujit after he failed to solve the arithmetic problem.

The district education supervisor has suspended the teacher following the police complaint.

Police are awaiting the autopsy results on Wednesday to determine whether the pupil succumbed to corporal punishment.