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UP teacher makes children slap classmate in viral video; probe on
A video of the incident – which police said occurred in a school run from a private home in Khubbapur village – was widely shared on social media
The Uttar Pradesh Police said on Friday it has started an inquiry into allegations that a teacher at a private school in Muzaffarnagar encouraged some young students to slap a classmate while declaring that children of a certain faith whose parents do not pay attention to their education should be taught a lesson.
A video of the incident – which police said occurred in a school run from a private home in Khubbapur village – was widely shared on social media. In the 39-second clip, the teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi by officers familiar with the matter, could be purportedly seen sitting on her chair and encouraging students in her class to slap another boy for not learning multiplication tables.
She could also be purportedly heard making communal remarks. “We have been made aware through social media about a video clip in which a woman teacher asks the students of a class to hit one of their classmates for not remembering [multiplication] tables. There are some objectionable comments too that are being made in the video.
When we... spoke to the school principal, it emerged that the teacher had declared that mothers of Mohammedan children who do not pay attention to their education, those children’s education is ruined. In this connection, action will be taken,” said Satyanarayan Prajapat, the SP of Muzaffarnagar.
Khatauli circle officer Ravi Shankar said initial probe showed that the teacher ran the school from her home in Khubbapur. “Legal action will be initiated against the teacher after we get a complaint,” the police officer said.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights also took cognisance of the clip.
“Taking cognizance, instructions are being issued for action, everyone is requested not to share the video of the child... do not become a part of the crime by revealing the identity of the children,” its chairperson Priyank Kanoongo posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The video sparked condemnation online. “...All Indians must hang our heads in shame that this is what all our constitutional rights and freedoms can be reduced to,” said Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, reacting to the post.
