A division bench comprising Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra issued the order following an independent inquiry. The investigation revealed that the student fabricated the allegations against the teacher from St. Aloysius High School in Kanpur to cover up his misconduct.
Allahabad: Recently, The Allahabad High Court ordered a police investigation against a school student who accused his teacher of attempting to convert him to Christianity and pressuring him into a sexual relationship. The allegations were found to be baseless, intended to conceal the student’s own actions.
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A division bench comprising Justice Arvind Singh Sangwan and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra issued the order following an independent inquiry. The investigation revealed that the student fabricated the allegations against the teacher from St. Aloysius High School in Kanpur to cover up his misconduct.
The Court stated that the child’s role must be investigated, as he and his father, the informant in the case, could face criminal prosecution if the inquiry’s findings are confirmed.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kanpur, is directed to transfer the investigation to the cyber cell, which will submit a report on whether the child created any fake accounts using the mobile phone or ID of the teacher. The informant must hand over the original phone to the police,” the Court ordered.
The independent inquiry, conducted by a panel of three unbiased individuals—a retired Provincial Civil Service officer, a principal from another school, and a school worker—found that the student had used the teacher’s mobile phone number to create fake IDs. These fake IDs were then used to fabricate messages and exert pressure on the teacher.
The court emphasized the need to probe the role of the student and his father, who was the informant in the case. If the inquiry’s findings are confirmed, they could face criminal prosecution. The Commissioner of Police, Kanpur, has been directed to transfer the investigation to the cyber cell.
The cyber cell is tasked with determining whether the student created any fake accounts using the teacher’s mobile phone or ID. The informant is also required to hand over the original phone to the police.
The inquiry revealed that during a dance competition, the student obtained the teacher’s mobile number. Subsequently, he created fake IDs using her phone and started chatting through these IDs, eventually pressuring her.
“When the issue gained attention, the informant’s son began making baseless allegations of having a sexual relationship with his teacher,” stated the counsel representing the Principal.
The inquiry panel also concluded that despite being a minor, the child was mentally strong and had a dominating influence over others.
While ordering a probe against the student, the Court noted that the Principal was not named in the FIR and faced no direct allegations.
“In fact, he acted on the informant’s complaint by referring the matter to the Inquiry Committee. We find that the matter requires further consideration,” the Court added.
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Background
The case emerged when the student’s father checked his son’s mobile phone on September 30, 2023, and found messages allegedly from the teacher, pressuring the boy for sexual relations.
A complaint was subsequently filed with the Child Welfare Committee. The case received extensive media coverage, resulting in the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the teacher and her suspension.
The court’s order came in response to a petition filed by the principal of the school. During the hearing, the principal’s counsel presented the findings of the inquiry panel, which debunked the student’s allegations. The panel’s report highlighted that the student had deliberately concocted the accusations after obtaining the teacher’s mobile number during a dance competition.
The court noted that the principal was not named in the FIR and had no direct allegations against him. It was observed that the principal had acted on the informant’s complaint by referring the matter to the inquiry committee. Consequently, the court stayed the arrest of the petitioner and prohibited any coercive action against him.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for July 10, 2024, and issued notices to the state and other respondents, requesting them to file counter affidavits within four weeks.
