Shanno’s friends allege harassment

Ruksar Khatun (10) and Asmina Khatun (8), both students of Class IV and also eyewitnesses to Shanno’s alleged punishment in the sun, complain they are being harassed for testifying against the accused teacher Manju to police, reports Ritika Chopra.

Life at the MCD Girls' Primary School, Bawana, seems to be slowly limping back to normal. But for two students, things may never be the same.

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Ruksar Khatun (10) and Asmina Khatun (8), both students of Class IV and also eyewitnesses to Shanno’s alleged punishment in the sun, complain they are being harassed for testifying against the accused teacher Manju to police.

“The teachers pass snide remarks whenever they see us. Every day, they accuse me of having accepted some kind of bribe from the media to testify or that we’re just hungry for fame,” said Ruksar, who even claims she was slapped by a Class III teacher for this.

“They keep calling Ruksar and me to their room to ask us why we spoke against the school. Even though we were in another classroom, we saw Shanno being punished. But they keep telling us that we are lying,” claimed Asmina.

Shanno, a Class II student, slipped into coma on April 15 after she was allegedly punished in the sun for close to two hours. She was admitted to Lok Nayak Hospital the next day and died on April 17.

Meanwhile, Shanno’s father Mohammad Ayub Khan decided on Monday to file a writ petition in the High Court. Khan’s case has been taken up by Kochhar and Company, and his family will be represented by leading lawyer Rohit Kochchar.

“We will file a writ petition asking them to direct police to arrest Manju and also to expedite the submission of the MCD inquiry report. We will also file a separate suit for damages worth Rs 1 crore,” said Kochchar, adding “Shanno's parents have suffered mental agony because of the apathetic attitude of the authorities.”