Case Against Haryana School Staff for Hanging Boy Upside Down

Police in Haryana registered a case against a school driver and principal after a 7-year-old boy was tied with ropes, hung upside down from a window and beaten at a private school in Panipat.

The incident occurred on Aug. 13 at Srijan Public School on Jatal Road, according to a complaint filed by the boy's mother at Model Town police station on Sept. 27. The mother, Doli, a resident of Mukhija Colony, said the boy was punished for not completing homework. A video of the assault, recorded by the driver and uploaded to social media, surfaced online and reached the family that day.

The driver, Ajay, slapped the boy while he was suspended from the window and made video calls to friends during the act, the mother told police. Ajay was dismissed from the school on Aug. 30 following earlier complaints about his behavior with children, the principal said. After the video went viral, Ajay sent men to the family's home in an attempt to intimidate them, according to the complaint.

A separate video showed the principal, Reena, slapping two other children in front of classmates after they misbehaved with two girls at the school, police said. Reena told investigators she had informed the children's parents before the action and that it was meant to discipline them.

Police registered the case against Ajay under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. A case was also filed against Reena and other staff, officials at Model Town station said. "We have directed officers to investigate thoroughly, and the accused will be arrested soon," Panipat Superintendent of Police Bhupender Singh said.

The boy's mother alleged that children at the school were sometimes forced to clean toilets as punishment. Reena denied knowledge of such practices but confirmed asking Ajay to scold the boy on Aug. 13.

Attempts to reach Ajay were unsuccessful. The Haryana education department had no immediate comment.

The incident drew criticism from child rights groups, who called for stricter enforcement of bans on corporal punishment in schools. Police said they planned to question more parents and review school records in the coming days.