The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) dismissed the Delhi government’s response over why a student was left locked throughout the night in a school, and asked it to pay Rs.10,000 as relief to the victim. The incident happened with a Class 6 student of Senior Secondary School at Mukherjee Nagar in July 2014.
“The commission did not agree with the Delhi government’s response to its show cause notice, wherein it (Delhi government) said that departmental action had already been taken against the negligent teacher,” a release from the commission said on Thursday.
In response to the commission’s recommendation, the Delhi government said that the negligent teacher was suspended and the student was given counselling and that the student was attending school regularly. “Therefore, the commission may not impose any monetary relief on the Directorate of Education,” the Delhi government said in its response to the commission.
However, the commission held that “the monetary relief is recommended by it under Section 18 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, in cases where violation of human rights is found established”.
The rights authority also took note of the fact that the boy had to spend the whole night alone without food, water and electricity.
“One can very well imagine how traumatizing and agonizing it would have been to go through such an ordeal. All this happened, admittedly, due to the negligence of a public servant. The victim, therefore, deserves to be compensated by the State.” NHRC observed.
