BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the State Government to pay ` 1 lakh compensation to a student who was humiliated by his class teacher three years ago.
The apex human rights panel has asked the Chief Secretary to pay the compensation and submit compliance with proof of payment within four weeks.
A lady teacher of Bileigarh Project Upper Primary School under Rajgangpur police limits in Sundargarh district had allegedly tonsured the head of a 14-year-old tribal boy leaving him half bald in the classroom in January 2015.
Humiliated, the boy had gone missing for a couple of days after the incident and resurfaced only after his father lodged a complaint with the police seeking action against the teacher. The lady teacher was subsequently arrested.
Acting on a petition filed by rights activist and supreme court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, NHRC had directed School and Mass Education Department to submit an action taken report.
“Not satisfied with the report, the Commission had recommended the Chief Secretary to pay the compensation. But, a letter from the Deputy Secretary of SME Department though states about the authorisation to the Director of Secondary Education (O) by the Secretary to release the compensation amount, the payment is still awaited,” Tripathy said.
The NHRC, in a recent order, asked the Chief Secretary to pay a compensation of ` 1 lakh to the victim.