Headmistress of a middle school in Coimbatore has petitioned the Madras High Court, seeking to quash a criminal case that emerged following the attendance of 32 school children at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow on March 18, 2024. This action was taken under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, based on a complaint by the District Child Protection Officer, Pavithra Devi, on March 19.
The headmistress of a middle school in Coimbatore has petitioned the Madras High Court, seeking to quash a criminal case that emerged following the attendance of 32 school children at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow on March 18, 2024. The case has sparked considerable debate over the involvement of schoolchildren in political events and the responsibilities of educational institutions.
The controversy began when the Coimbatore city police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the school’s management. This action was taken under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, based on a complaint by the District Child Protection Officer, Pavithra Devi, on March 19. The complaint was prompted by various sources, including news reports, social media posts, and a letter from an Assistant Returning Officer, leading to a field inspection by Devi herself. During this inspection, students reportedly confirmed their attendance at the roadshow, guided by their teachers.
The complaint detailed that on the morning of the roadshow, the school administration had informed parents to collect their children by the afternoon due to the event’s proximity to the school. However, with some parents failing to arrive by the designated time, the teachers allegedly took the remaining students to the roadshow. This action prompted the call for legal proceedings under the Juvenile Justice Act, which penalizes the assault, abandonment, abuse, exposure, or willful neglect of children.
In response, headmistress S. Pukal Vadivu, aged 54, has strongly refuted these allegations in her plea to the Madras High Court. She described the complaint as “absolutely false” and motivated by a desire to harass the school management. Vadivu’s petition emphasized that the school had taken all necessary precautions to ensure the students’ safe return with their parents, categorically denying any intention to involve the children in an election campaign or any political activity.
“The allegation as if the school children were taken in uniform to see the honorable Prime Minister is absolutely false and untrue. There was no act on the part of the school at all… It is an absolutely mischievous allegation as though the petitioner had taken the school children for election campaign by forcing them,”
Vadivu’s petition stated.
Justice N. Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court, on Thursday (March 28) after hearing the plea, directed Additional Public Prosecutor A. Damodaran to seek instructions from the Inspector of Sai Baba Colony police station by April 3. Furthermore, the judge advised against any coercive action until further directions, marking a critical juncture in this legal battle.
This case highlights the delicate balance between the rights of children, the duties of educational institutions, and the legal framework designed to protect minors. As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome will likely set a precedent for how schools manage student participation in events near educational premises, especially those of a political nature.
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