Teacher Who Beat Up Student For Writing ‘Jai Shree Ram’ On Classroom Board Suspended
A teacher and a school principal were suspended after they allegedly beat up a student after he wrote ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on the classroom board at a government school in Jammu and Kashmir. The incident happened at the Government Higher Secondary School in Bani. The student in question has been identified as Neeraj Kumar. Kumar, a student of class 10, claimed he was beaten by the teacher and principal after they allegedly beat him up for writing ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on the class board.
“My name is Neeraj Kumar, and I am a student of Class 10. I was beaten by the teacher and the principal after I wrote ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the board. The lecturer, Farooq, and Principal Mohd. Hafiz subjected me to physical assault, even within the principal’s office. My father brought me to the hospital. They should be suspended,” the student was quoted saying.
Announcing the suspension, a government release stated: “Pending inquiry into their conduct, the following officers are hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect in pursuance of Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services Rules, 1956.”
Inquiry commitee set up
The incident has led to outrage, prompting the deputy commissioner of Kathua to set up an inquiry committee. The teacher and principal are now facing charges as per Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, alongside Section 75 (cruelty to a child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, as per the FIR.
Police have arrested the lecturer allegedly involved in the incident while efforts are on to locate and apprehend the principal. “The principal is absconding, and a search is underway to arrest him, while further investigation is in progress,” a senior police official was quoted saying.
Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Minhas said, “The committee members are instructed to investigate the matter and submit the fact-finding report along with specific comments and recommendations within two days to proceed further. Furthermore, the committee is tasked with assigning responsibility to the perpetrator regarding the incident.”
Reminds of Muzaffarnagar episode
A similar incident occurred in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, where a viral video showed a school teacher apparently encouraging students to slap a crying classmate. Muzaffarnagar district magistrate Arvind Mallappa confirmed the lodging of a complaint, and the child is receiving counseling.
Investigation revealed that the video was recorded by the child’s uncle. The accused teacher, Tripta Tyagi, defended her actions, claiming that the video was edited. She defended her actions as an attempt to encourage the student to complete homework.
Regarding the accused teacher’s statements, she said, “The viral video was edited and cut. I had no such intentions… In our area, Hindus and Muslims live together in unity, and we have more Muslim students in our school… There was pressure from the child’s parents to be strict with him. I am handicapped and cannot get up… He has not been doing homework for the last 2 months… So, I had a few students help him with his work by beating him up.”
She said, “What I said was that ‘Mohammedan mothers’ should not take their kids to their uncles’ homes as the exams are approaching. However, they edited the video and took only the ‘Mohammedan’ word… I had no such intentions… I made a mistake and I sincerely apologise with folded hands.”
