Supreme Court Orders UP Govt to Bear Schooling Costs of Muslim Child Slapped on Teacher’s Instructions

New Delhi, May 14: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bear all schooling expenses of a Muslim child from Muzaffarnagar who was slapped by classmates on the instructions of his teacher, Tripta Tyagi. The incident, which was captured in a viral video, sparked nationwide outrage in 2023.

The order came while hearing a petition filed by Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasized that the primary responsibility of funding the child’s education lies with the state government.

“It is the obligation of the State government to pay for tuition fees, cost of uniform, books, and transport charges of the child till he completes his school education,” the court stated, according to Bar and Bench.

Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, representing Tushar Gandhi, had earlier submitted that the state had failed to ensure coverage of tuition fees and school uniform expenses. Although the state informed the court that the Syed Murtaza Memorial Trust had offered to sponsor the child for a year, the court reiterated that the government holds the ultimate responsibility.

“It is recorded that the trust will take care for one year. We clarify that the primary responsibility of meeting this expenditure is of the State,” the court ruled. “It will be open to the State to persuade the school authority to make the payment.”

Gandhi’s petition also demanded criminal action against the teacher Tripta Tyagi, who was seen in the video inciting the students to slap the Muslim boy. The Uttar Pradesh government had told the court in October 2023 that Tyagi would be prosecuted under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code for outraging religious feelings. She later surrendered before a court and was granted bail.