Karnataka: Bidar student shifted to school-run hostel

BIDAR: A Bidar school student, whose mother was arrested on January 30 on sedition charges, was shifted to the school-run hostel. The 11-year-old girl was assigned a guardian a few days ago following intervention by the Child Welfare Committee. The girl was staying with a neighbour till then.
The girl allegedly made a remark against the PM during a play on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on January 21.Following a complaint by Neelesh Rakshyala, police registered an FIR invoking sedition and other sections against the school run by Shaheen Group of Institutions, the student's mother and an Urdu teacher on January 26. The student's mother, Najbunnisa, and Urdu teacher Fareeda Begum, also headmistress of Shaheen Urdu Primary School, were arrested on January 30. They have since been in judicial custody. The hearing of their anticipatory and interim bail petitions is posted to Tuesday.
Najbunnisa, a widow who earns about Rs 2,300 a month doing work in 3-4 houses, is from Hallikhed B, a remote village in Humnabad taluk and 33km from Bidar. After her husband's death, she came to Bidar three months ago for her daughter's school education. The mother and daughter used to live in a rented single room in Maniyaar Taleem area.
After her mother's arrest, the girl was in the care of her neighbour Hafeez and his family until the Child Welfare Committee ordered that she be provided shelter. "Najbunnisa often struggled to pay rent," Hafeez said, adding she also earned some money by renting out a small piece of agricultural land. The school funded the child's education, as has been done in cases of many underprivileged children regardless of religion, said Vinay Malige, an activist.
Hafeez said, "When the girl stayed with us, she was scared and would cry often. She kept asking for her mother. My wife was worried. On her insistence, we consulted a psychologist, who said she would soon be fine." A few days ago, the girl told TOI she was spending sleepless nights. She pleaded with police to be taken home.
Before and after the arrest of the mother and the Urdu teacher, police questioned 85 children along with the school management members and teachers. The mother was arrested for tutoring her child to speak the anti-PM dialogue, police said.
Thouseef Madikeri, chief executive officer of the school, said police softened their approach after media highlighted the sedition case and added that they have now stopped visiting the institution.