Students’ statements crucial to prosecute teacher over hate rant: Delhi Police

An FIR against Hema Gulati was lodged on Monday on the basis of complaint of a 13-year-old Muslim student who was in the class, but she was yet to be arrested.

Any legal action against Hema Gulati, the 42-year-old Delhi government schoolteacher booked for alleged hate rants against Muslims in class, is likely to be taken on the basis of the statements of all the students present at that time, officers part of the investigation said on Wednesday.

Investigators said that recording the statements of all class 9A students will help ascertain whether the alleged objectionable and derogatory remarks were made, and will be of crucial importance in the probe. (Representational image)

While a first information report (FIR) against Gulati was lodged on Monday on the basis of a complaint of a 13-year-old Muslim student who was in the class, she was yet to be arrested.

Investigators said that recording the statements of all Class 9A students will help ascertain whether the alleged objectionable and derogatory remarks were made, and will be of crucial importance in the probe.

When contacted on Wednesday at her home in Geeta Colony, Gulati declined to comment on the allegations.

A senior police officer said that Class 9A has a strength of 52 students belonging to various faiths, including eight or nine Muslim students, and police have identified the students present on August 23 — when the teacher allegedly made hateful statements, according to the complainant. Till Tuesday, statements of around 15 students were recorded, and the process will resume on Friday, the officer said. “No statements will be recorded on Wednesday and Thursday because of Rakshabandhan holidays. The procedure will begin on Friday , as we need to corroborate the allegations,” the officer said.

According to investigators, there is no audio footage available of inside the classroom.

“Only videos without audio are available, which leaves little room for technical evidence. We will also be speaking to other teachers of the school to ascertain if the teacher ever made any such statement in front of them,” said another investigator.

The statements of students are being recorded by a juvenile welfare officer within the premises of the school, the investigator said. Gulati, teaches three subjects — English, entrepreneurship mindset curriculum, and the Deshbhakti curriculum.

Following the alleged hateful comments, which students and parents said were also made in the past, she was booked under various IPC sections, including section 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups).

Police recorded the teacher’s statement on Tuesday and further investigation is ongoing, deputy commissioner of police (Shahdara) Rohit Meena said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the families of the students who complained against the teacher said they are clueless about the action being taken in the matter.

“...we need to know if the teacher will still be teaching at the school. Because if she is going to come back, we will be scared to send our children to school,” said the elder sister of the 13-year-old complainant.

The Delhi government said they have set up a panel to address the matter, and will issue anti-discrimination guidelines to all their teachers and principals in other schools.