HC asks police to give status report on school teachers' plea to quash FIR on cruelty charge

The Delhi High Court has directed the police to file a status report on a plea by the principal and two teachers of a private school here seeking the quashing of FIR against them for allegedly treating a 3-year-old student cruelly.

Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the Delhi Police, father of the victim and the school-based in Dwarka on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on December 6.

The police has initially lodged an FIR in October last year under the POCSO Act for the alleged offence of sexual assault on the complaint of the child's father that the minor was abused by a male attendant of the school.

However, the police officials could not apprehend or identify the alleged offender till June this year, the plea claimed.

The police officials then issued notices to the principal, child's class teacher and another teacher of the school alleging that an offence of cruelty to the minor under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act was made out against them.

As per section 75 of the JJ Act, 'Whoever, having the actual charge of, or control over, a child, assaults, abandons, abuses, exposes or wilfully neglects the child or causes or procures the child to be assaulted, abandoned, abused, exposed or neglected in a manner likely to cause such child unnecessary mental or physical suffering, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine of one lakh rupees or with both.'