Uttar Pradesh: Teacher incites violence against a Muslim student, asks fellow students to “hit him harder”.

Tripta Tyagi, a teacher at Neha Public School in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, encouraged Hindu students to physically assault a Muslim child. In the video, Tyagi is heard urging the students to thrash the Muslim kid, creating a distressing scene where the child is beaten while crying. The incident sparked outrage, with calls for action against Tyagi and concerns over the rise of hate crimes targeting children based on their religious identity.

State Action: Following the viral video, the Muzaffarnagar Police initiated an investigation, directing the station in-charge of Mansoorpur to take necessary action. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson, Priyanka Kanoongo, announced an official investigation into the matter and urged people not to share the video but to provide information through email. Despite the child’s father’s reluctance to file a complaint, Tyagi was booked on non-cognizable charges based on a complaint by the child’s parents. The non-cognizable nature of the case means that police cannot arrest the accused without a warrant, requiring permission from a magistrate to initiate an investigation.