BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Friday informed the Karnataka High Court that it has submitted a proposal to the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) with regard to initiation of departmental inquiry against the policemen with weapons allegedly interrogating children of Shaheen Education Society at Bidar in connection with the sedition case.
On the last date of hearing, the court had observed that prima facie, this is a serious case of violation of rights of the children under the provision of Rule 86 (5) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 and also directed the state government to respond by filing an affidavit of a senior police officer stating on record what action has been initiated against the police officials who interrogated school children while wearing uniform and carrying weapons.
The court had also asked the state government to consider issuing a direction to the police throughout the state which will ensure that such violation of rights of children does not take place, the court added.
In response to this, the government advocate on Friday made the submission before the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum about the proposal sent to DG&IGP during the hearing of the public interest litigation.
Recording the submission, the court noted that there was partial compliance with the directions issued and the affidavit filed by the government was silent about issuing directions to police throughout the state to ensure no such violations. Then the state government sought time to comply with the same.
The petition was filed by advocate Nayana Jyothi Jhawar and another person in 2020 on violation of child rights and sought compensation to the parents or legal guardians of the minors for the alleged emotional and mental agony.
The case pertains to a play staged by students of Classes 4, 5 and 6 of Shaheen Primary and High School in Bidar on January 21 2020, which allegedly questioned the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Registry of Citizens (NRC). The police later allegedly visited the school to question the students and teachers.