The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    Bidar School Case: Police say they followed SC ruling

    Synopsis

    After coming under extensive criticism for the way they treated schoolchildren in Bidar town in a case of alleged sedition, the Karnataka Police on Wednesday maintained that their actions were in compliance with the Supreme Court directions.

    SC-BCCL
    After coming under extensive criticism for the way they treated schoolchildren in Bidar town in a case of alleged sedition, the Karnataka Police on Wednesday maintained that their actions were in compliance with the Supreme Court directions.

    Bidar Superintendent of Police Nagesh DL defended the move saying that the apex court ruling in the 2007 Lalita Kumari case mandated police to file an FIR as soon as they receive information on any cognizable offence.

    The district police subjected children, teachers and management of Shaheen School in Bidar last week after they learnt about a play centred on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National register of citizens (NRC). The play allegedly had dialogues saying that people should turn away officials visiting them seeking details for CAA/NRC purposes.

    The police shrugged off the incident saying they just did their job, and it was for the courts to decide whether the incident amounted to sedition.

    “We booked the case based on the information received about the incident, in line with the Supreme Court order. The investigating officer is gathering facts and evidence. The court will take a view,” Nagesh told ET.

    Students had staged the play on January 21 and a parent had live-streamed the event on social media. Five days later, Nilesh Rakshala, a member of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) filed a complaint of sedition with the police.

    The police not only booked a case, but also arrested two women — Nazbunnisa, mother of a student and Fareeda Begum, head teacher — on January 30, on the charges of using children to incite hatred in society and against PM Narendra Modi. The case came up for hearing at the Bidar District and Sessions Court on Wednesday and was adjourned to February 11, implying that the two arrested will be in jail for one more week.

    Police said Nazbunnisa was arrested on charges of training her 11-year-old daughter to deliver an objectionable dialogue in the play. She is a single parent, and her arrest is said to have traumatised the daughter who is now being looked after by neighbours.

    Since the arrest, the police have been visiting the school almost everyday to “question” children. “They have questioned students five days since the case was booked. They ask the same set of questions about who taught them the play, the rehearsals, etc again and again,” said Touseef Madikeri, the school CEO. The school management feels that the interrogation has created a sense of fear and discomfort among children. “A team of six that includes four policemen and two members from the Child Welfare Committee are here from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm,” Madikeri said.

    The police did not visit the school on Wednesday though. The Bidar SP has maintained that the police are not harassing children. “The team is interacting with different students on different days. Any lapse on the part of the investigating officer or the staff can be brought to my notice. We will inquire and take appropriate action,” he said.

    Former DGP ST Ramesh said the Juvenile Justice Act mandates that the police handle children delicately. “In this case, which is not so serious as murder or dacoity, the mother has been arrested. The question, therefore, is whether the police and the criminal justice system have acted in a child-friendly manner, without harming the psyche of the child,” he said.


    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
    (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 News, Budget 2024 Live Coverage, Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

    Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

    ...more

    (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
    (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2024 News, Budget 2024 Live Coverage, Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)

    Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

    Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online.

    ...more
    The Economic Times

    Stories you might be interested in