A Class 12 student lost his life in Bihar's Bhagalpur town on Friday after being thrashed by his school teacher.

Seventeen-year-old Ashish Anand, a student of St Joseph School, Bhagalpur, was thrashed by his teacher Mohd Idris for a minor mistake, sources said.

Anand's father Ashwani Jha told rediff.com over telephone that his son collapsed soon after he was badly thrashed.

"We are in a state of shock," he said.

According to Anand's relatives, the boy was fine when he left for school in the morning.

Sources said Jha was informed on his mobile phone on Friday afternoon that his son was seriously ill. When he went to the private doctor, to whom the school authorities took the boy, Jha was informed that his son had been admitted to a hospital. However, when he reached there, his son was pronounced dead.

Police is yet to lodge a case against the accused school teacher.

The school's principal Father Verghese expressed shock over the incident, but refused to comment further on the issue.