A case was lodged following an incident in which a teacher assaulted a student at a government higher secondary school in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The student, who required hospitalisation, claimed that he was subjected to physical violence because he had inscribed "Jai Shri Ram" on the blackboard within the classroom.
Subsequently, the police initiated an FIR against both the implicated teacher and the school's principal.
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.
This development transpired a day subsequent to the emergence of a video depicting a distressing incident at a school in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The video showcased a teacher instructing her pupils to physically assault a fellow student of the Muslim faith. On camera, the teacher was heard remarking, "I have declared jitne bhi Mohammedan bachhe hai..." as she sequentially called each student in the class to take turns in striking the Muslim student.
In response to the event in Kathua, the Deputy Commissioner released a notification, announcing the establishment of a three-member committee to conduct an investigation. The committee is composed of the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bani, the Deputy Chief Education Officer of Kathua, and the principal of the government higher secondary school in Kharote.
