Mohammad Hafiz, the former principal of HSS Bani school in Jammu, and lecturer Mohammad Farooq, suspended in August 2023 for thrashing a student who allegedly wrote ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the blackboard, have been quietly reinstated following a ‘departmental inquiry’.
An order by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department said the Director of School Education had reinstated the accused principal, Mohammad Hafiz, citing a lack of evidence and witnesses to testify against him. It also recommended he “remain vigilant in the future as he holds the vital position of principal and the head of the institution.”
#Update – #JammuKashmir Director School education has silently reinstated the accused principal & lecturer who were suspended in 👇 case, after a departmental inquiry.
— Jammu Tweeter (@jammu_tweeter) July 27, 2024
While principal Mohd Hafiz was reinstated citing 'no evidence or witness testified against him'. He is,… https://t.co/edcIcHzqzp pic.twitter.com/TheCiqbYdi
The committee has also recommended the reinstatement of senior lecturer, Mohammad Farooq, with the imposition of a penalty and withholding of two increments.
The period of suspension of both officers is treated as on duty, the government order dated 22 July 2027 said. Mohammad Hafiz and Mohammad Farooq will not only be reinstated but will also be granted 10 months of salary for their period of suspension.
Minor student thrashed by Mohammad Hafiz and Mohammad Farooq for writing Jai Shri Ram on the blackboard
On August 25, 2023, Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Hafiz allegedly beat a minor student studying in the government school HSS Bani for writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the blackboard.
Following the incident, a video of the hospitalised minor victim had gone viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. In the video, the minor student (class X) was seen narrating the incident. Explaining the reason why he was in the hospital, he said that his teacher Farooq, and the school principal brutally thrashed him for writing Jai Shri Ram on the blackboard.
Speaking with OpIndia, Kathua Police had confirmed that the minor schoolboy was beaten for writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the blackboard.
They had added that they have filed an FIR in the case against two accused under Sections 323 (deals with punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 504(intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Additionally, they had charged the accused under Section 75 (which provides for punishment, if any person having control of the child, assaults, abandons, abuses or willfully neglects the child) of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Assuring swift action, the Police said that they will soon arrest both the accused in this case. “The FIR has mentioned lecturer Farooq as the accused who thrashed the victim for writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the class blackboard. Principal Mohammed Hafiz has also been named in the FIR. They will soon be arrested,” the police official told OpIndia.
Subsequently, the Jammu and Kashmir government has formed a three-member high-level committee. This probe committee was led by the Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Bani. The other two members of the committee include the Deputy Chief Education Officer Kathua region and the principal of the government school HSS Kharote.
