Daijiworld Media Network - Bidar (SHP)

Bidar, Feb 9: The Karnataka child rights commission has criticised the district police for several violations, including norms under the Juvenile Justice Act, over the Bidar school sedition case. The criticism comes after the Bidar police interrogated school kids following an inquiry into an anti-CAA play performed at a school function.

Earlier on January 30, the police had arrested a widowed mother of a nine-year-old student along with the headmistress in the case.

In a new development in the case, the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSPCR) chairman Dr Antony Sebastian has sent a letter to Bidar officials, the SP, and the deputy commissioner, with copies marked to the Karnataka DGP. Dr Sebastian mentioned in the letter that the police officials were liable for creating an 'atmosphere of fear' at the Shaheen Primary School and the officials were to stop questioning the school children. The KSPCR also found that officials violated norms when they placed a nine-year-old under the care of a neighbour and failed to alert the local child welfare committee.

The Bidar district police interrogated students, aged nine to 12 years at the Shaheen Urdu Primary School several times in the past week over their roles in the play on the citizenship law. The police questioned the staff and the children over who was responsible for writing the script and for assigning dialogues.

One of the arrested in the case was Nazbunnisa, the mother of one of the children, accused of allegedly delivering the controversial dialogue. The cops also arrested the teacher Fareeda Begum, who oversaw the event. The two were booked under Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(2) (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting, attempting to promote disharmony) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

An investigation is on into the 'sedition case' against the management and staff of the school, where children had allegedly insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others, in the context of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), in a drama they staged on January 21.