Bail for teacher, parent in Bidar sedition case over school play

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bidar, Feb 14, 2020: The woman principal of the Bidar school and the mother of a student, who were arrested earlier this month over a play critical of the Citizenship Amendment Act, have been granted bail. The play was staged in the Bidar school run by the Shaheen Group of Institutions by students of Class 4, 5 and 6 on January 21. Five days later, the school was charged by the police with sedition over remarks allegedly made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The mother, Nazbunissa Minsa, the police had claimed, tutored the child to introduce words not in the script. The woman principal, Fareeda Begum, was arrested because the play was held with her knowledge and permission, they had said.

The school play caught the attention of the police when a clip of the event was circulated online. The police claimed they received a complaint against the play and filed the case.

The incident had sparked outrage after the school administration had said that the children, who took part in the play, were questioned numerous times by the police.

"They are kept out of the class for four to five hours regularly. The Deputy Superintendent of Police will come around 1 pm. They will question the children till 4 O’clock. This is what has been happening for the last 4 days. We don’t know why they have put sedition section on is. It is beyond the imagination of any reasonable person," said the school’s CEO Thouseef Madikeri had told NDTV.

"One of the parents has already apologised. This is like mental harassment for the parents and also the students. They are living in a kind of fear," he had added.