UP Teacher Arrested for Instructing Muslim Student to Slap Hindu Classmate

In a disheartening incident reminiscent of a previous occurrence in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, a school teacher in Sambhal faced arrest on Thursday for allegedly inciting communal hatred. The teacher had reportedly instructed a Class 5 Muslim student to slap a Hindu classmate as a form of punishment for failing to answer a question correctly.

The incident unfolded at a private school in Dugawar village, situated under the jurisdiction of the Asmoli police station in Sambhal.

The episode, which transpired on a Tuesday, swiftly garnered attention when the father of the student who was slapped filed a complaint, asserting that the incident had deeply wounded his son's religious sentiments. According to the complaint, the teacher had ordered the Muslim student to administer a slap to his Hindu classmate after the latter couldn't provide a satisfactory answer to her question.

In response to the complaint, authorities registered an FIR against the accused teacher, invoking relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including those pertaining to the promotion of enmity between different religious groups and causing harm voluntarily. This incident bears striking similarities to a prior case that unfolded in Muzaffarnagar, where a teacher faced allegations of orchestrating the repeated slapping of a Muslim boy by his Hindu classmates for failing to complete his homework.

In the viral video of the Muzaffarnagar incident, students could be seen taking turns slapping the Muslim student, who stood before the class in tears. In her defense, the teacher argued that the video was misrepresented, denying any communal intent. She maintained that she had only been performing her duties as an educator and had refrained from personally administering a slap due to her physical disability.

The Supreme Court weighed in on the Muzaffarnagar case, criticizing the Uttar Pradesh government for what it perceived as a lackluster investigation. The apex court issued directives for the appointment of a senior IPS officer to lead a more thorough probe into the incident. The court's stance emphasized the importance of ensuring that students are not penalized based on their religious or communal backgrounds, underlining the significance of quality education free from discrimination.

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