[Bidar Sedition] Action taken against police officers who questioned children: State tells Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka government on Friday informed the Karnataka High Court that action had been taken against police officers who had interrogated minor students at Shaheen School in Bidar while wearing uniforms and carrying firearms, in relation to a sedition case registered against the administration..The students were questioned over a play staged by them in relation to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2020. .A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum was further told that a circular was issued by the Deputy General of Police to all police personnel to ensure that there would be strict compliance of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 (Model Rules) in the future. .Accordingly, the Court recorded, "It has been informed that action has already been taken against erring police officers and a circular has been issued by the Director General of Police that in future there would strict compliance of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016.....Three weeks to file compliance.".The Court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the questioning of minor students over a play staged by them in relation to the CAA..During a previous hearing, the Court had asked the State government to consider issuing directions to police officers to ensure that such violation of child rights does not happen again..The genesis of the case was in a complaint filed by a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) alleging that a play staged by classes 4, 5 and 6 students of Shaheen School on the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) contained dialogue that insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Subsequently, the State police authorities had registered an FIR against the management of the school..The main allegation was that the school administration facilitated the spreading of false information about the CAA, spread negative opinions about the Parliament's laws among students, and further contributed to communal tension.The headmistress and a mother of a student were subsequently arrested. They were later enlarged on bail, while the school management also successfully obtained anticipatory bail from the district court in Bidar..The matter will be next heard on December 1.

[Bidar Sedition] Action taken against police officers who questioned children: State tells Karnataka High Court

Rintu Mariam Biju

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