Journalism of Courage
This is an archive article published on September 6, 2023
Slapping of Muzaffarnagar student: SC seeks status report on probe, issues notice to state govt
The plea also seeks guidelines regarding preventive and remedial measures within the school systems to prevent violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities.
Neha Public School in Muzaffarnagar, where an incident has sparked outrage, as a teacher encouraged students to assault a Muslim classmate. (File)
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Slapping of Muzaffarnagar student: SC seeks status report on probe, issues notice to state govt
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The Supreme Court Wednesday sought a status report from the Muzaffarnagar police regarding the probe into the alleged incident of a seven-year-old boy being slapped by fellow students on the instructions of their teacher at a private school in the district.
The teacher, Tripta Tyagi (60), had referred to the boy’s faith and spoken pejoratively about “Mohammedan children” as she asked other students to beat the boy “hard”. The boy’s family said he was beaten up for a mistake in multiplication tables.
Issuing notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea filed by activist Tushar Gandhi, a bench of Justices A S Oka and Pankaj Mithal asked the Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police to inform it about the steps taken for the security of the boy and his family.
The plea also seeks guidelines regarding preventive and remedial measures within the school system to prevent violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities.
The court has sought the reply by September 25.
A video of the student being slapped had been shared widely on social media late last month, leading to calls for action against the teacher and the school.
In the video, asking the classmates to beat the boy, Tyagi is heard purportedly saying: “Maine toh declare kar diya, jitne bhi Mohammedan bachche hain, inke wahan chale jao (I have declared — all these Muslim children, go to anyone’s area)…”
Police booked Tyagi under IPC Sections 323 (causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace but did not arrest her.
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District authorities subsequently sealed an under-construction private school owned by the teacher at Khubbapur village. The incident had taken place at the teacher’s residence.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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