Following a diktat of the upper caste people, at least 60 primary level Dalit students of Nuttuwa hamlet of Dadraul village in Shahjehanpur district have stopped going school.

Nutt community villagers alleged that the people of the feudal class had been opposing their move of sending their children to school for the last two years.

"They used to threaten us to keep our children away from the government primary school as their children too studied there. They claimed that we are untouchables and shouldn't attend the same school," said Ram Naresh, father of a child, who has stopped going school.

"When we didn't abide by their 'laws', they started beating our children at the gate of the school that is located on the outskirts of the village," he alleged.

"It is happening at the behest of the school staff who also despise us. They ask us to sit elsewhere during distribution of mid-day meal.

They don't call us by our names but address us as Nutts," said a girl who was once a student of the school but has discontinued going to school for the past many days.

Shahjehanpur SP Rakesh Chandra Sahu said, "It is a serious case. We have registered an FIR against the accused persons and are conducting raids at several places to nab them."

Basic Education Officer of Shahjehanpur Rajesh Verma said, "We have come to know about the incidents and ordered an inquiry into it. We are probing the charge against the school staff."

Atrocities against the Dalits is not new in Uttar Pradesh, but this case of restricting children from their share of education has come as a shame.