Punishment meted out to innocent student

Wasantha Ramanayake

Chief Justice Asoka de Silva recently cautioned two teachers of the Balapitiya Revatha National School to properly identifying the culprits before taking any disciplinary action against students, terminating a rights application filed by a mother of a year 11 student of the same school.

Petitioner T. Indra de Silva of Balapitiya, the mother of the second petitioner child Edirimuni Nipun Sangeeth Kumudupriya de Silva complained to the court that the child was verbally abused and corporally punished administered by the first respondent who was a teacher of the same school.

The mother stated that the child was innocent and was punished by the first respondent mistakenly identifying the child for another student.

She complained that as a result of the assault, the child had to be warded in hospital which had resulted in the child not being able to attend school for nine days. The Chief Justice noted that it was a very unfortunate incident. He noted that the respondents denied the allegations.