The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports on the incident where a Class 2 student of a Panipat private school was allegedly hung upside down from a window and beaten up by a school driver at the behest of the principal, saying the “case highlights a grave failure of the school’s duty of care, warranting urgent intervention”. The HHRC has sought reports from the Panipat district education department, the police and the administration on the alleged incident that took place at Srijan Public School in August. “It is alleged that the school Principal, Ms. Reena, along with school bus driver Ajay, subjected the child to inhuman corporal punishment merely for not completing homework. The child was allegedly tied upside down to a window, slapped repeatedly, and a video of this cruel act was recorded and circulated. The complainant, mother of the child, came to know of the incident only after seeing the video on social media,” the HHRC observed in its order pronounced on October 1, and released to the media on Friday. The Commission also referred to another video where the principal was allegedly seen slapping students and pulling their ears, and said that “she routinely forced children to clean toilets and classrooms as a form of punishment.” “During confrontation, the Principal admitted to calling the driver to discipline the child but denied authorising such cruelty. However, the facts reveal that instead of ensuring safety, the school staff inflicted severe physical and mental trauma on the child. The driver allegedly threatened the boy with dire consequences if he disclosed the incident,” the Commission’s order states. The order further mentions that when the complainant’s family approached the driver, a group of men threatened them not to pursue the matter further. It also records that the police have registered an FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The full bench of the Commission, comprising chairperson Justice Lalit Batra and members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, observed that “the incident is a direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), particularly: Article 19 – Protection from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse; Article 28(2) – Discipline in schools must respect the child’s dignity; and Article 37(a) – No child shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.” It further noted that the incident amounts to a violation of statutory safeguards under Indian law, including sections of the Juvenile Justice Act, the Right to Education Act, and Article 21 of the Constitution. Justice Lalit Batra, heading the bench, remarked, “The accused persons’ actions constitute grave violations of human and child rights. Assaulting and threatening a 7-year-old amounts to trampling on his dignity and rights, while also eroding trust in the education system.” “Education must be rooted in positive discipline, empathy, and constructive guidance. Corporal punishment has been consistently condemned by psychologists, international conventions, and Indian law. Schools must protect and nurture children, not degrade or humiliate them,” the Commission emphasised. Review school policies, submit progress report: HHRC Dr Puneet Arora, Protocol, Information and Public Relations Officer of the HHRC, said that the Commission members rushed to Panipat on the evening of September 29 when the matter first came to light on social media. They held a meeting at the PWD Rest House with Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Pankaj Yadav, the district education officer, and other officials of the Panipat administration, he added. “After reviewing the facts, the Commission has directed that detailed reports be submitted before the next date of hearing on November 13. SP (Panipat), DC (Panipat), District Education Officer (Panipat) shall examine compliance with Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009 prohibiting corporal punishment; review the school’s disciplinary policies and safety measures; ensure psychological counselling and support for the victim child and family; recommend measures to promote positive parenting and child-friendly discipline; and monitor unauthorized schools under the Haryana School Education Act,” Arora said. The Commission also directed SP (Panipat) to “submit details of the FIR and applied provisions; report progress on statements of the victim, witnesses and family; provide current status of arrest of the accused; and ensure protection of the complainant’s family against threats or intimidations”.
