In a disconcerting incident at a private school in Dugawar village, Sambhal district, a school teacher, identified as Shaista, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly instigating communal discord. The incident unfolded when the teacher purportedly directed a Muslim student to slap a Hindu classmate who was unable to answer a question. The arrest followed a complaint filed by the father of the Hindu student, who accused the teacher of violating his son's religious sentiments.

The teacher, Shaista, has been booked under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), as confirmed by Additional SP Shrish Chandra. The arrest signifies a response to the gravity of the situation and an immediate legal intervention, PTI reported.

This unsettling event resonates with a similar occurrence in Muzaffarnagar last month, where a teacher from a private school faced legal action for having a Muslim child slapped by classmates for failing to complete homework. In that case, a case was registered against the accused teacher, Tripta Tyagi, under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

Highlighting the broader implications of such incidents, the Supreme Court, on September 25, emphasized that quality education cannot be achieved if students are penalized based on their community affiliation. The apex court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to appoint a senior IPS officer within a week to conduct a thorough investigation into the Muzaffarnagar case, expressing dissatisfaction with the initial probe.