Humiliating Teacher for chanting Hindu prayer; Court action after 2 yrs. No action by SBI against conversion agents in their school

Book School Officials for Humiliating Teacher: Court

CHENNAI: Two-and-half years after a teacher was allegedly humiliated for chanting Hindu prayers in front of an assembly of students, a city court has observed that there is a prima facie case against the SBOA school officials, including the principal. The court has also directed the city police to register a case for further investigation on the teacher’s complaint that the school officials had hurt her religious feeling.

R Abirami, then working as a Chemistry teacher at the SBOA School, Anna Nagar, had claimed that she was singing prayers of Christian, Islam and Hindu religions in the daily assembly of Class XII students on March 13, 2012. However, the school principals and a few other officials were irked when she started singing Hindu prayers and switched off the microphone. She had also alleged that she was pushed down from the stage by a few staff of the school humiliating her in front of the students.

She had lodged a complaint against the school officials at the Thirumangalam police station on December 24, 2012 accusing them of hurting her religious feelings.

However, no action was taken by the police on her complaint and subsequently she had filed a petition before the XIII Metropolitan Magistrate Court seeking direction for the police to act on her complaint.

Meanwhile, Abirami was also dismissed from the school on disciplinary grounds for misbehaving with the staff and officials of the school.

On hearing Abirami’s petition and perusal of the records, Magistrate S Sivasubramanian observed that a prima facie case is made out against five officials of the school, including the school principal P C Selvarani and CEO Sherly Paul. “This complaint is hereby forwarded to Inspector of Police, V5 Thirumangalam police. On receipt of this complaint, he (the inspector) has to register a case based on the complaint given by R Abirami, investigate the same and file a final report,” the order issued by the magistrate read.

Responses