– Radiance News Service
The Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL by Tushar Gandhi, has issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, seeking its response on the case of beating up of a school boy in Muzaffarnagar, UP. The petition, filed by Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi, has sought a fast, time-bound investigation into the case.
The court directed the Muzaffarnagar SP to file a report by September 25 on what steps the police have taken so far regarding the investigation. The SP, in the report, has also to give information about the steps taken for the safety of the victim child and his family.
The incident took place on August 24 when a schoolboy from Khubbapur village of Muzaffarnagar was beaten up, a video of which went viral. In this video, a lady teacher is seen instructing students to slap a Class 2 Muslim child and the boys following the command one by one. In the video, the teacher is seen commenting on the child’s religion and telling the students to slap the victim rather hard. After this video went viral, there was anger among the people about the female teacher Tripta Tyagi.
The school was also served a notice by the state education department in connection with the matter. Tyagi was booked a day after the video went viral.
“FIR has not been filed; the police has only registered a non-cognisable offence in which there is hardly any scope of action. FIR should have been made. The police may say that there was no complainant, the victim has not complained and the family has compromised. The video that went viral clearly shows the crime committed and the teacher provoking the children. Police should have taken cognisance of it and acted without waiting for anyone to file a complaint. Whatever being said and the sympathy shown towards the teacher is only to protect her. We have the Constitution and law and action should have been taken in accordance of it without any complaint. As, in this case, it has not happened; therefore, I moved the Supreme Court and filed a PIL,” said Tushar Gandhi while talking with Dr Salim Khan during a video interview.
Tushar further said, “If any action was not required, the SC would have simply turned down my PIL. But the issuance of notice suggests that the judges have felt there should be a process where accountability should be there and the government should follow the due process of law in this case. It is unfortunate that in such cases we can see there is no action taken suo moto.”
He added, “I have done it because the hatred campaign has been planned and implemented in a very planned manner. They are trying to create a society where hate will become a new normal and peace, communal amity and brotherhood almost a distant dream. Bapu had said if you want to create a society based on peace and justice then you have to begin with the children. The hatemongers are following the same principle but to create hate and divide the society. The children who are encouraged to slap today will use fire gun tomorrow without any hesitation.”
In the PIL, he has also asked the Supreme Court to frame guidelines for all parties concerned so that in such circumstances action can be taken in accordance with the guidelines.
