Karnataka government to HC: Cops in plainclothes questioned 17 Bidar school kids

BENGALURU: The state government on Wednesday informed the high court that police personnel were in civil dress when they counselled the 17 students of a school run by Shaheen Education Society, Bidar in connection with a controversial play against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.
City-based advocate Nayana Jyothi Jhawar and South India Cell For Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) have filed a PIL seeking a departmental inquiry and consequential action against police personnel for illegal examination and questioning of minor students of the school.
Appearing on behalf of the state, advocate general Prabhuling K Navadgi said that the counselling was done as per procedure contained under Juvenile Justice Act and in the presence of child protection officers and teachers of the school.
He added that the PIL was filed based on newspaper reports and the contention that the children were subjected to interrogation by police personnel in uniform was not correct.
He added that seven students who took part in the said controversial play and 10 witnesses who witnessed the same were counselled by police and the said process has ended.
Taking his statement on record, a division bench headed by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka adjourned the hearing to March 9, while directing the petitioners to file a rejoinder, if any, by March 6.
The controversial play was allegedly staged in the school on January 21. On January 26, based on a complaint by a right-wing activist, Bidar police booked a sedition case against the school management. A school teacher and a student’s mother were arrested and were released on bail recently.
The petitioners have also prayed for grant of compensation to parents or legal guardians of the children, who were subjected to illegal questioning.