Hyderabad, Nov 23 (IANS): Authorities in Andhra Pradesh have launched an investigation into allegations that a teacher in a private school allegedly made a five-year-old student drink urine.

An official of the education department at Anaparthy 'mandal' (block) in East Godavari district of coastal Andhra region began a probe into the incident amid contradictory versions over what happened at the Satyabhama Primary School.

District education officer (DEO) Srinivasa Reddy said he had asked block education officer Somi Reddy to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

Police said Gummadi Satya Gowri, who allegedly made the student drink urine, remained at large.

On a petition by a NGO AP Balala Hakkula Sangham, the state human rights commission also ordered an inquiry into the incident, which took place Wednesday but came to light Thursday.

Anjaneya Reddy's parents Surya Reddy and Ganga Maheswari alleged that the teacher made their son, a Class 1 student, drink urine.

He along with three of his class mates had urinated in a tumbler and kept it in a corner of their classroom. On learning about this, the teacher reprimanded the students, who put the blame on Anjaneya Reddy.

The teacher then allegedly forced the boy to drink the urine. When he resisted, she asked the other students to hold him.

Police said the boy changed his version later to say that the teacher made other boys throw urine on him. The police began investigations on a complaint by the boy's parents.

The incident triggered an outcry with parents demanding strong action against the school management.

School authorities claimed that some boys urinated in a tumbler and threw it on each other.

Similar incidents were reported from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu earlier this year. A Class 5 girl was allegedly forced to drink her urine by the hostel warden in a school in West Bengal in July. In the second incident, a 14-year-old student in Tamil Nadu was also forced to drink his own urine by three teachers.