Child welfare panel issues notice to Bidar police over sedition case

Bail plea of arrested posted to Feb. 11

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Bidar district has issued a notice to the police over the manner in which investigation was carried out with reference to a sedition case on Shaheen School for staging a play on CAA and NRC.

Kavitha Hushare, chairperson of the committee, stated that she along with three other members visited the school and found that the police inquiry was “in violation of child rights”. She said that it violated provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

“We wrote to the investigating officers last week that there were serious child rights violations, but they did not respond. So we convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday and appraised senior police officials and the district administration on the matter,” she said.

Ms. Hushare also said that the child whose mother was arrested was considered as “child in need of care and protection” and the committee has ensured that the child’s interest are being protected.

Over the past few days, police personnel have been visiting Shaheen School and questioning students and arrested a teacher and a parent for an allegedly seditious and inflammatory play.

Bail plea

Meanwhile, the Bidar District and Sessions Court on Wednesday decided to hear the bail petitions of the mother of the student and the teacher who had overseen the play on February 11.

The court asked the Public Prosecutor to reply to the bail application within a week. Nazbunissa, the mother, and Fareeda Begum, the head teacher of the primary section, were arrested on January 30.

‘Withdraw sedition case against Bidar school’

The State Congress on Wednesday condemned the registration of a sedition case against the management of Shaheen School in Bidar and arrest of two women in connection with a play enacted.

In a two-page petition submitted to Praveen Sood, DG & IGP, a Congress delegation led by KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “There has been widespread misuse of the sedition law which has affected the lives of the vulnerable.” The Supreme Court in several judgments has spoken against the sedition law and cautioned against its misuse, it said.

The delegation met Mr. Sood at his office and held discussions on the matter. The KPCC urged the State’s top police officer to withdraw the case and all charges.