Haryana school student’s hand fractured in assault by teacher, human rights panel calls it ‘systemic failure’

The student was admitted to a hospital run by the same educational group. The student’s family was also allegedly mistreated and intimidated by the school staff when they visited the hospital to take care of their injured child.

Taking suo motu cognisance, the HHCR termed the incident “not only physical violence but also mental trauma and institutional negligence, constituting a serious violation of the fundamental rights of children”.

The full panel of the HHRC, comprising chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain, and Deep Bhatia, expressed deep concern over the “physical and emotional trauma” suffered by the student.

The HHRC noted, “This is not an isolated incident of violence but points to a systemic failure in ensuring student safety and monitoring staff conduct. Reports of intimidation faced by the victim’s family further aggravate the seriousness of the matter. Such behaviour undermines trust in educational institutions and damages the sanctity of the teacher-student relationship. Therefore, the Commission deemed it necessary to implement immediate corrective, protective, and preventive measures”.

Justice Batra expressed the Commission’s preliminary view saying that “the reported facts indicate a serious violation of the fundamental rights to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which encompasses dignity, mental well-being, and protection from abuse”.

“The incident also clearly violates Sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which prohibit cruelty and corporal punishment against children. Moreover, it contravenes Articles 19 and 28 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which call for safeguarding children from all forms of physical or mental violence and ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment. The matter demands immediate and thorough investigation to protect the rights of the victim and ensure accountability,” Justice Batra added.

Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the investigation in the case, HHRC issued directions to the superintendent of police (Jhajjar) to ensure “investigation is conducted fairly, transparently and in a time-bound manner under his direct supervision”.

In the order pronounced on May 23 and released Monday, the HHRC sought a status report, including statements of relevant parties and medical records, within four weeks.

The HHRC also directed the district education officer (Jhajjar) to “conduct an urgent institutional audit of the concerned school to examine whether a functional child protection policy is in place, whether grievance redressal mechanisms exist for students and parents; and whether internal disciplinary mechanisms for staff misconduct are effectively implemented”.

Dr Puneet Arora, protocol, information and public relations officer of the HHRC, said, “The Commission has viewed this incident as a reflection of the deepening disorder in educational institutions. It is not merely about one student, but calls into question the accountability of the entire educational system,” adding that the next hearing is scheduled for July 8.