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The Supreme Court on Friday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for not providing counselling to the Muslim student who was slapped by classmates on the instruction of a teacher in Muzaffarnagar.
A bench of Justices AS Oka and Pankaj Mithal pulled up the government, saying the state "will not do anything" unless the court passes orders and termed the approach of the government "shocking". "Unless we pass the order, they won't do anything. You have to decide whether you will do something or only face-saving. We passed the order on September 25. If students are treated in your state like this, then what is the use of expert counselling now after three months?" the bench said. It asked the Principal Secretary of the Education Department to be virtually present before it on December 11. The bench noted that no counselling had been conducted for any of the children involved in the incident and asked Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, to suggest the mode and manner of counselling. The bench expressed disappointment with the delay in compliance with its previous order dated September 25, where it asked the government to provide counselling to students. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, seeking a speedy investigation into the case. A case was registered against a teacher in Muzaffarnagar who allegedly encouraged her students to slap a classmate. The purported video of the incident created outrage on social media. The teacher, Tripta Tyagi, was booked after a video showed her asking her students to slap the Class 2 boy in Khubbapur village and also making a communal remark. The teacher was accused of making communal comments and ordering her students to slap a Muslim classmate for not doing his homework. The state education department had also served a notice to the private school. The FIR was registered against the school teacher under Section 323 (punishment for causing voluntary hurt) and Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC). The petition sought direction for a time-bound and independent investigation by the police and the prescription of preventive and remedial measures within the school systems in relation to violence against children, including those belonging to religious minorities. (ANI)
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