Court awards damages to caned schoolboy

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in India recommended that the Delhi government pay compensation of Rs 25,000 to a Class VII student who was subjected to ‘unreasonable corporal punishment’ in school in 2013, the Indian Express reported.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) recommended that the Delhi government pay compensation of Rs 25,000 to a Class VII student who was subjected to “unreasonable corporal punishment” in a government school in 2013.

The incident dates back to November 23, 2013, when the principal of the government-run Sarvodaya Vidyalaya at Lancer Road in North Delhi had allegedly beaten a boy, Aman, with a stick, injuring both his wrists. An inquiry revealed, however, that there were no fractures, the commission observed.

On the day of the incident, according to records before the NHRC, Aman’s class teacher had punished him and two others by making them stand up on the bench for not bringing their textbooks. Principal of the school Virender Singh Meena was then on his rounds and asked the teacher why the boys were made to stand on the bench. After he was told that they had not brought their textbooks, Meena allegedly hit Aman on his hands with a stick.

Aman and his mother then filed a complaint against the principal at the Timarpur police station. As an immediate measure, the principal was transferred to another school and a department inquiry was initiated against him. A separate complaint was filed before the NHRC by an activist.

According to NHRC officials, the principal was arrested on the day of the incident and charged in February 2014.

The Delhi government had contended that since the police too had taken criminal action against the principal for beating the boy, “the award of monetary relief would not be appropriate”.

NHRC, however, observed “it is an established fact that the victim was subjected to unreasonable corporal punishment and thereby his human rights were violated.”

As published in the Indian Express, 22 April 2015.

Picture credit: Unknown.

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