Expelled for non-vegetarian tiffin: Why a mother went to court against her son’s school
The district administration and local police refused to help her. The superintendent of police allegedly threatened her. Finally, the Allahabad HC stepped in.
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On September 2, Sabra, a 24-year old resident of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, received a call from the school where her three young sons were studying. She was told to pick up her son, seven-year old Rihan Khan, early from school.
Worried, Sabra went to the school to find Rihan in distress. He told her that he had not been allowed to attend class in the morning and been kept locked up in the school’s computer lab for five hours. He alleged that he was also beaten by his class teacher.
The next day, when Sabra confronted the principal, Avneesh Kumar Sharma, he alleged that Rihan was punished for bringing non-vegetarian food to school. In a video recording of their encounter made by Sabra, Sharma made hateful and Islamophobic comments about the seven-year old. He told Sabra that all three children had been expelled.
Over the next week, Sabra waged a futile struggle to initiate proceedings against Sharma and the school. She approached the district education department, the police and the district magistrate. But no action was taken against Sharma.
Sabra then approached the Allahabad High Court. She achieved what she described to Scroll as her “first victory” on Tuesday. The High Court ordered the Amroha district magistrate to get...
