FIR Against Fact-Checker for Sharing Video of Child Abuse in UP School

In a recent development, the Uttar Pradesh police have lodged an FIR against Mohammed Zubair, a fact-checker with AltNews, for sharing a video that showcased a headmistress instructing children to slap a Muslim child in her school. The FIR accuses Zubair of revealing the child’s identity. This incident raises questions about the selective invocation of laws, potentially with the intention of intimidating those who gather and verify information that exposes unsettling truths about the society.

The Incident and Its Aftermath

The video, which went viral, featured Tripta Tyagi, a headmistress, laughing and instructing children to hit a crying boy harder, stating that Muslim children should be beaten before being sent home for not performing well. The incident led to widespread outrage, with many demanding action against the teacher.

Zubair was booked under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, which prohibits the disclosure of a child’s identity involved in any judicial procedure. Violation of this provision is punishable with imprisonment up to six months, a fine up to Rs 2 lakh, or both.

Zubair, based in Bangalore, learned about the FIR from social media and contacted his lawyer. He noted that many others had shared the video before and after him, yet only his name appeared in the FIR. Despite deleting the video after a request from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the FIR was still filed against him.

The FIR was lodged based on a complaint by Vishnudatt, a resident of the village where the school is located. However, several calls to Vishnudatt by The Telegraph went unanswered. Circle officer Ravi Shankar Mishra stated that the investigation is ongoing.

Past Legal Troubles

Zubair was previously arrested in June 2022 for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments in a tweet from 2018. The Supreme Court later clubbed all the cases against him, shifted them to Delhi, and granted him bail in July 2022.

Current Status

The headmistress, Tyagi, admitted to getting other children to beat the Class I student for not learning the multiplication table but denied any religious discrimination. She has been booked under IPC sections 323 and 504 for voluntarily causing hurt and intentionally insulting someone with ulterior motives.

The child’s parents have withdrawn him from the school, and he will continue his education in a neighboring village with assistance from Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind.