In a recent development, the Uttar Pradesh Police has introduced Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act into the FIR filed against Tripta Tyagi, a school teacher facing accusations of instructing her students to slap a fellow Muslim classmate for failing to complete his homework.
This particular section of the Juvenile Justice Act deals with situations where a person in charge of a child either physically abuses, abandons, mistreats, or willfully neglects the child. Under this provision, offenders may face a rigorous imprisonment term ranging from three to ten years, coupled with a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Tripta Tyagi was initially charged on August 26, based on a complaint filed by the boy's family. The charges included IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), both classified as non-cognizable offenses. However, in light of the ongoing investigation, Circle Officer Ravi Shankar confirmed the inclusion of Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act in the FIR against the schoolteacher.
This action followed the circulation of a viral video on August 25, which depicted Tyagi instructing her students to slap a second-grade boy at Neha Public School in Khubbapur village, Muzaffarnagar district, while also making a communal remark.
The video triggered strong reactions from various political leaders and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the nation's apex body for safeguarding children's rights, calling for punitive measures against the accused teacher.
In her defense, Tyagi claimed that the video had been manipulated to incite tensions and insisted that it was recorded by the boy's uncle. She acknowledged her wrongdoing in having a student slapped by his classmates but argued that her physical handicap prevented her from reaching the student who had not completed his assignment.
