Govt school teacher forces student to slap classmates for wrong answers, case registered

A female teacher at a government girls' school has been booked for instructing a student to slap her classmates for giving incorrect answers. The incident, reported by a 10-year-old student, led to a police case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Juvenile Justice Act.

Shimla: A female teacher from a government girls' school was booked on Tuesday for allegedly instructing a student to slap her classmates who provided incorrect answers, police reported. Following a complaint by a 10-year-old student, a case was registered under Section 115(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (voluntarily causing hurt) and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (cruelty to children).

What happened in the classroom?

As per the complaint, on Monday afternoon, the teacher tested the class on the meanings of Sanskrit words she had assigned them to memorize. The complainant, who also served as the class monitor, provided the correct answer, whereas 10-12 other students struggled to respond accurately. The teacher then instructed her to slap those who failed to answer the question.

The student stated that she followed the teacher's instructions but only slapped her classmates lightly. However, the teacher struck her, ordered her to hit the other students harder, and scolded her, saying, "You are the class monitor, yet you don’t even know how to slap properly." According to the complainant, two other girls who had given correct answers were also slapped.

She further mentioned that the teacher's actions frightened her. The teacher frequently claims, "You can tell your parents whatever you want, but no one can take action against me," she added.