SC orders UP govt to appoint IPS officer to probe student slapping case

The Supreme Court has issued orders for a senior IPS officer to oversee the investigation into the incident where a seven-year-old child in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, was repeatedly slapped by classmates on their teacher’s instructions. The court, expressing concern, stated that if the allegations are true, they should deeply trouble the state’s conscience, stressing that it is a matter of the right to life. Earlier this year, a viral video of the incident had sparked widespread outrage, showing the child crying while classmates took turns slapping him, as instructed by the teacher.
The top court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to arrange counselling by professional counsellors for both the victim and the students involved in the incident. The court has adjourned the case until 30 October and has mandated the UP government to submit a compliance report regarding the counselling and to take responsibility for the victim child’s education.