Allahabad HC stays suspension of teacher for allegedly forcing Islamic practices at school

The Allahabad High Court has stayed the suspension of a teacher while an enquiry against him is pending for allegedly forcing students at a government school to take part in Islamic religious practices, Bar and Bench reported on Monday.

Mohammed Anzar Ahmad had been booked in May after it was alleged that he had forced girl students at a school in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district to wear hijab and boys to wear skull caps, the Deccan Herald reported.

It was also alleged that he made the students recite poet Muhammad Iqbal’s Urdu verse Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua before morning prayers.

In the order passed on September 7, the bench directed that the enquiry against Ahmad be concluded at the earliest, preferably within 15 days.

The court was hearing a plea by Ahmad challenging the suspension order against him.

The Sambhal administration had ordered an inquiry in May after videos of the students wearing hijabs and skull caps were widely shared online.

Ahmad and an assistant teacher were suspended on May 10. Another teacher had been suspended for failing to bring it to the notice of senior officials, Deccan Herald reported.

In his plea, Ahmad denied the allegations and argued that he was on medical leave when the alleged incident took place.

The state argued that he was present at the school at the time of the...

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