J&K Teacher Booked For Beating Girl Students Over Hijab And Tilak

In Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a government school teacher has been suspended and booked for allegedly beating up two girls in classroom. The teacher allegedly assaulted children for applying tilak and wearing hijab.

The students allegedly assaulted by the teacher were are in class 4 at the Government Middle School Khadurian Panchayat Dramman. The teacher has been identified as Nisar Ahmad. The police stated that the accused teacher has been detained but no communal angle has been attached to his case.

Jammu and Kashmir Teacher Suspended

After a jointly recording video by the parents of the two girls, a Hindu and a Muslim, the Rajouri district administration ordered an inquiry against the teacher and placed him under suspension. According to reports, the Additional District Magistrate Kotranka, Rajouri is going to hold an inquiry to find out if the children were beaten by the teacher and the truth behind the specific reason given by the parents. Reportedly, the controversy started when it was alleged that a Hindu student was beaten up for applying tilak on her forehead.

Father of one of the children, Angrez Singh said, "The way my daughter was beaten or Shakoor's daughter (the other girl student) was beaten, tomorrow another teacher can beat a child for wearing a tika or niqab. I appeal to the administration and civil society that there should be an inquiry." Singh also mentioned the hijab controversy going in other states of India and said that a similar situation should not arise in Jammu and Kashmir since people will not allow it.

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He added, "I want justice. Today my daughter was beaten for wearing tilak. Tomorrow, someone else will come and say why do you wear a niqab. It's an attempt to disturb communal harmony. We will not allow this place to become UP, Bihar or Karnataka." Mohammad Shakoor, the father of the other student, alleged that the teacher allegedly beat up his daughter "ruthlessly". He alleged, "She was punched and kicked by the teacher."

The Rajouri administration passed an order according to which the accused teacher can be charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code. The administration also noted that under the section 23 of the JJ Act, 2000, any one charge with child assault can be imprisoned for six month or fine or both.