Pay compensation to girl students hit with footwear by school teacher, says State Human Rights Commission

The order also recommends that the State government initiate disciplinary proceedings against the teacher in accordance with the rule

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has recommended that the Tamil Nadu government pay a compensation of ₹2 lakh each to two girl students in a government school in Kallakurichi district, who were beaten with a footwear by a woman teacher. These students were in Class VI, when the incident was reported in November 2017.

In an order, SHRC member V. Kannadasan also recommended that the State government initiate disciplinary proceedings against the teacher in accordance with the rules. The order further recommended recovering a sum of ₹4 lakh from the teacher, C.R. Santhi.

A report submitted by the District Educational Officer, Kallakurichi, also confirmed that the teacher had hit the students with footwear. According to the complaint, Santhi had hit a teacher and students with footwear on different occasions.

No action taken

The District Educational Officer (DEO) did not take action against the erring teacher and, hence, a plea was filed before the SHRC.

According to an internal inquiry by the headmistress, students alleged that the teacher left the door of the students’ toilet open when she used it, so they closed it. However, the teacher, in her statement during an internal probe, claimed that the students closed the door from outside, and she heard them saying that they would kill her. So, she came out and hit them.

During the inquiry by the DEO, the teacher did not deny the charge that she hit the students with footwear. The teacher did not appear before the Commission even after getting summons.

After perusing available records in the case, the Commission said: “The respondent teacher corroborated [during the internal inquiry] the version of the victim girls mentioned in their statement. The statement of the victim girls is an acceptable one and, hence, this Commission is of the considered opinion that the respondent teacher assaulted the victim girls with chappals.”

2021 HC judgment

Citing a judgment of the Madras High Court in the S. Jai Singh vs State case, delivered in 2021 against corporal punishment, the Commission said that the ruling was squarely applicable to the case on hand. It further said the “inhuman” act of the respondent amounted to the violation of human rights of the students.

Published - May 31, 2025 12:24 am IST