Now, UP Teacher Asks Muslim Boy To Slap Hindu Classmate, Arrested

A school teacher at a private school in Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh made a Muslim boy slap his fellow Hindu classmate for failing to answer a question.

The incident occurred in Dugawar village under Asmoli police station limits, according to a report in The Times Of India.

Following a complaint lodged by the Hindu boy's father, the teacher named Shaista has been charged under IPC sections 153A, which pertains to inciting enmity based on religion, race, etc., and section 323, related to causing harm intentionally, as informed by Additional SP Shrish Chandra.

The accused has been arrested on Thursday. The Hindu boy's father has claimed that his son is studying in class 5. In the complaint, he said that his religious feelings had been hurt.

The Hindu boy was depressed and confined to his home after the incident, India Today reported. When his father asked him, the 11-year-old boy opened up on the incident. The school has suspended the teacher over the incident.

In a similar incident, a Muslim student in Muzaffarnagar was slapped by his classmates at the behest of their teacher, Tripta Tyagi in August. A video clip of the incident had gone viral.

In the clip, the victim stands before the class, while the teacher remains seated and urges fellow students to step up and slap their classmate. In succession, the students approach and strike the victim while the teacher supervises the situation.

The school was also served a notice by the education department in connection with the matter. The teacher, Tripta Tyagi, was booked on the complaint of the boy's family under IPC sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) -- both non-cognisable offences. Such offences are bailable and do not lead to immediate arrest, and require a warrant.