A schoolgirl, accused of being talkative in the class, was forced to stand for over five hours outside the classroom after her lips were sealed with an adhesive tape, in a private school in the Noorkhan Bazar locality of Old City here on Wednesday.
Syeda Sadar Fatima, studying in Class 9 at Sam British School, rushed home weeping and reported the matter to her parents. Her father Syed Mujtaba Hussain lodged a complaint with the police who registered a case of voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint (under Sections 323 and 341 of the IPC) against the principal and a teacher. No arrests have been made so far.
Ms. Fatima told The Hindu that when the principal walked into the classroom she was talking to other students. Then “the principal called our teacher Mrs. Sajida and asked her to put an adhesive tape on my lips. I was ordered to stand outside the classroom for the whole day. I could not eat. I was just talking to my friend when the teacher decided to punish.”
“Principal not apologetic”
Distressed by the developments, Mr. Hussain rushed to the school and confronted the Principal. “They were not apologetic. In turn, they threatened me with dire consequences. They told me ‘do whatever you like’,” alleged Mr. Hussain.
He later approached the Dabirpura police with a written complaint.
Deny charge
When contacted, the school officials denied the charge that the girl’s lips were plastered. They said the school did not practise corporal punishment and that the student was only chided for being talkative. “We are running the school with 400 students. We are not that irresponsible. No punishment was given,” claimed Mazhar Ali, husband of Principal. The couple own and manage the school.
