Slapping by classmates: UP tells SC counselling held at Muzaffarnagar school
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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on Friday that it had begun counselling classes for students who allegedly were urged by their teacher in a Muzaffarnagar school to slap a classmate.
Additional Advocate General Garima Prashad told a two-judge bench led by Justice A S Oka that the workshops were being organised by an institution suggested by experts and would last until April 24.
Noting the submission, the bench, which also included Justices Ujjal Bhuyan, asked that the state file a progress report on the implementation of its orders when it resumes hearing the case, Indian Express reported.
The court was hearing a petition filed by activist Tushar Gandhi requesting an investigation into an event in August 2023 in which children were allegedly instructed by their class teacher to slap a 7-year-old Muslim boy for failing to do his homework. The teacher allegedly referenced the boy's faith and spoke disparagingly about "Mohammedan children" while instructing other students to slap him "hard".
After a video of the incident went viral, Gandhi filed a petition with the Supreme Court in September of last year.
The UP Police then booked the teacher under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The district officials also sealed the private school in Khubbapur village.
The court subsequently selected the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to give counselling to the children concerned, as well as the help of specialist child counsellors. In December 2023, the Supreme Court asked the state administration to explain how it planned to execute the TISS recommendations.
On the last day of the hearing, the bench voiced dissatisfaction with the delay in giving therapy to the children involved in the incident.