Another UP School Teacher Held For Asking One Student To Slap Another

A student in class 5 in a school in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar was asked a question by a teacher on September 26. After the boy failed to answer the question, the teacher allegedly asked a Muslim student to slap him.

The incident came to light after the student who was slapped confided in his family. On seeing the boy visibly upset at home, his father asked what happened, and the boy narrated the entire ordeal.

UP Teacher Asks Student To Slap Another

The father then took the case to the police station and filed a case against the teacher the next day. Police arrested the teacher, identified as Sajishta, on September 28, and she was also suspended from the school.

This comes after the Supreme Court on September 25 emphasised that the state should take responsibility for the incident where a teacher in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh instructed her students to slap a fellow classmate, which the court viewed as an act of targeting a particular community.

Court Observations

The Supreme Court expressing its dissatisfaction with the way the Uttar Pradesh Police handled the case, raised questions about the delay in filing the FIR and the absence of communal allegations in the initial reports. As a result, the court ordered that a senior IPS-ranked police officer be assigned to investigate the case.

The court also noted that there seemed to be a "prima facie failure on the part of the State" to adhere to the mandates of the Right to Education Act. This act prohibits the physical and mental harassment of students and discrimination based on religion and caste. Despite the student's father filing a complaint related to cognizable offences, there was a significant delay in registering the FIR, which was only done on September 6, almost two weeks after the incident.

The court referenced provisions of the RTE Act and the Rules, which forbid the harassment and discrimination of students in schools. According to the rules established by the UP government under the RTE Act, the local authorities are obligated to ensure that no child is subjected to abuse or discrimination based on caste, class, religion, or gender.

What Did The Court Order Say?

In its ruling, the court directed the state to provide counselling to the victimised student by a professional counsellor. The court also stressed the importance of counselling for the other students who were instructed by the teacher to harm the victim.

Additionally, the court involved the Secretary of the State Education Department in the matter and requested a compliance report regarding the counselling provided to the victim and the improvement of educational facilities for the victim. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for October 30.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal made the verbal observation, "If this incident has happened, then it should shake the conscience of the state. It's a serious issue," the bench said.

What Is The Case?

Tripta Tyagi, a private school teacher in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly instructed her students to physically assault a seven-year-old Muslim student as a form of punishment for his poor performance in multiplication tables.

The incident, captured in a viral video, led to nationwide outrage as Tyagi reportedly made offensive remarks about 'Mohammedan children' while the student was being slapped and crying.

However, a video that was released later saw her apologising for her mistake saying, "I readily admit my mistake. Nevertheless, I had no desire to foster a division between Hindus and Muslims. I provide free education to numerous Muslim students whose parents cannot afford the school fees, and my aim was never to cause any hardship to Muslim children."

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