Allahabad HC stays suspension of teacher accused of forcing Islamic practices
text_fields
The Allahabad High Court has stayed the suspension of a teacher accused of forcing students at a government school to participate in Islamic religious practices, while an inquiry against him remains pending, Bar and Bench reported on Monday.
Mohammed Anzar Ahmad was booked in May after allegations that he had forced girl students at a government school in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district to wear hijabs and boys to wear skull caps, Deccan Herald reported.
He was also accused of making students recite Urdu poet Muhammad Iqbal’s verse Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua before morning prayers.
In an order passed on September 7, the bench directed that the inquiry against Ahmad be completed at the earliest, preferably within 15 days.
The court was hearing Ahmad’s petition challenging the suspension order.
The Sambhal administration ordered an inquiry in May after videos showing students wearing hijabs and skull caps were widely circulated online.
Ahmad and an assistant teacher were suspended on May 10. Another teacher was also suspended for allegedly failing to inform senior officials about the incident, Deccan Herald reported.
In his petition, Ahmad denied the allegations and claimed that he was on medical leave when the alleged incident occurred.
The state, however, argued that Ahmad was present at the school at the time of the incident.