Panchkula: Sessions court upholds teacher’s conviction for beating student

Sessions court in Panchkula upheld the lower court’s judgment convicting a teacher for beating a Class 6 student over touching her car.

Initially, a complaint was filed with the police against Kirti Malik, 39, a teacher from Sector 8, by Bharti Verma, the principal of Government School, Parwala. Verma reported that on December 30, 2021, she received information that Malik had beaten a Class 6 student for touching her car. Malik had also allegedly verbally abused and intimidated the principal, villagers, and staff.

The victim was subsequently taken for medical examination, leading to the registration of the FIR under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Raipur Rani police station and the eventual conviction by the trial court. The trial court awarded her two-month simple imprisonment and imposed ₹500 fine on her on August 21, 2023.

Malik filed an appeal against the judgment passed by judicial magistrate.

The sessions court affirmed the lower court’s findings, observing that the victim’s testimony clearly established that he was playing when his hand touched Malik’s car, following which she beat him. The court noted that medical evidence, including the medico-legal report (MLR) prepared by Dr. Shilpa Garg, corroborated the boy’s account, detailing pain in his left ear, redness and throat pain, and an abrasion on his left index finger.

However, considering that Malik had faced trial since March 2022, had no prior criminal record, and the boy sustained simple/minor injuries, the sessions court released her on probation of good conduct for six months upon furnishing a bond of ₹25,000 with one surety. Malik was instructed to maintain peace and good behaviour during this period, failing which she would have to undergo her sentence.

The sessions judge also directed Malik to pay ₹10,000 as compensation to the injured boy.