Slapping incident: SC asks UP govt to facilitate admission of child to school

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to facilitate the admission of a student, who was slapped by his classmates allegedly at the behest of a teacher for failing to complete his homework in Muzaffarnagar district, to a private school there.

The state’s education department told a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal it was constituting a committee to consider the admission of the victim child to a private CBSE-affiliated school. The counsel appearing for the department said it has under its jurisdiction only schools affiliated to UP board.

Justice Oka said, “Why do you have to appoint a committee for the admission of a child? What will the committee do? Just ask your senior officer and they will talk to the principal of the school which will consider the admission. Don’t take such a stand before the court. I don’t think any school will say no, given the facts of the case. By Friday, let us know about the compliance.”

Advocate Shadan Farasat, appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, said the father of the boy wanted him to be admitted to a private CBSE school but was facing difficulties.

At the outset, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the state government, informed the court that they were looking for child psychologists at King George’s Medical University, Lucknow to counsel the child and other students of the school.

The bench said it will take up the plea on Friday and suggested that child psychologists of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) would be better equipped to handle the matter.

Gandhi, the great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, has sought speedy investigation in the case.