Pune, Nov 13 (IANS): A teacher was arrested here after he clobbered a 11-year-old student for not completing a school assignment, causing facial paralysis in the boy, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in October at the Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School (SSPMS), a government-aided residential school in Shivajinagar.

Following a complaint lodged by the parents, police arrested the teacher, Sandeep Gade, late on Monday.

"According to the parents, the incident occurred on October 25 before our terminal examinations but we were informed about it only yesterday (Monday). We have suspended the teacher," SSPMS Principal Smita S. Patil told IANS.

She added that Gade had been working for 15 years in the school with around 550 residential students but there had not been any such complaint in the past.

Patil said a committee set up to probe the incident will also decide on providing medical aid or compensation to the student.

The parents said they had gone from Indapur to Shivajinagar on November 3 to pick up their Class VI son for Diwali vacations. They noticed some abnormalities on the left side of his face but did not take it seriously.

As days passed, the flaws on the boy's face became prominent and he kept his face covered.

The traumatized boy then revealed that he was slapped and his head banged on a wooden bench for failing to complete a drawing project.

The family rushed him to a hospital in Baramati where the doctors said the boy had suffered facial paralysis.