Student slap case: SC takes dim view of UP govt's failure to provide counselling facilities to children

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday took a stern view of the UP government's failure to provide counselling facilities to the children involved in the viral incident where a school teacher was seen instructing students to slap a fellow classmate from a particular community.

Observing that there has been complete breach of the apex court’s directions, a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the state government to file a fresh compliance affidavit before the next date of listing.

The bench stressed that the state authorities should implement in true letter and spirit the recommendations made by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in relation to the incident that occurred in UP’s Muzaffarnagar in August last year.

The apex court said that it will take up the matter for further hearing on March 1.

In an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had orally remarked that the incident should "shock the conscience of the state” if the viral video is found to be true.

"There cannot be any quality education if a student is sought to be penalised only on the ground that he belongs to a particular community," it had remarked.

In the viral video, fellow students were seen slapping a 7-year-old at the behest of the teacher of a private school who referred to his faith in a derogatory manner. The plea filed in the Supreme Court sought directions for a time-bound and independent investigation in the incident and setting up of guidelines for preventing violence against students belonging to religious minorities in schools.