Disclaimer: This has been reported after the availability of the order of the Court and not on media reports so as to give an accurate report to our readers.
Chhattisgarh High Court: In a suo motu public interest litigation (‘PIL’) regarding the poor condition of government school toilets in Bilaspur, the Division Bench of Ramesh Sinha, CJ., and Bibhu Datta Guru, J., took cognizance of a news report wherein a 4-year-old child was tied to a rope and hung from a tree as corporal punishment. Accordingly, the Court directed the Secretary, Department of School Education, Chhattisgarh, to file his personal affidavit regarding the aforesaid issue by the next date of hearing.
Background
On 27-01-2025, the Court took suo motu cognizance of a news item published in Dainik Bhaskar regarding the poor condition of Government Schools in Bilaspur. Clean toilets are mandatory in schools, but more than 150 government schools in Bilaspur did not have toilets. There were more than 200 schools where the toilets were not usable.
During the pendency of the present PIL, on 26-11-2025, a news report was published in The Times of India stating that a four-year-old LKG student was tied to a rope and hung from a tree as corporal punishment in a private school in Narayanpur village. Reportedly, two female teachers punished the child for allegedly not completing his homework. Though the child was reported to be safe, the parents raised questions over the incident.
The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media, triggering outrage and forcing the Education department to launch an urgent inquiry. The teachers were purportedly seen in the viral video tying a rope to the child’s shirt and hanging him from a tree inside the school premises. A young man standing on a nearby rooftop recorded the entire incident on his phone and later uploaded it online, following which the department was informed. It was also reported that the teachers were trying to stop the man from filming the incident, instead of sparing the child.
Reportedly, angered by the brutal punishment meted out to the child, people demanded immediate and strict action. The investigating officer, who was sent to the school for an on-spot inspection, admitted that the teachers’ actions were completely wrong, saying a detailed report had been submitted to Senior District Officials who would decide the next course of action.
When the aforesaid issue was confronted with the District Education Officer, he stated that notice has been issued to the school management seeking a reply within two days.
The State contended that action has been taken against the teachers by the authority concerned.
Noting the aforesaid, the Court directed the Secretary, Department of School Education, Chhattisgarh, to file his personal affidavit regarding the aforesaid issue by the next date of hearing.
The case was listed on 09-12-2025.
[Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation v. State of Chhattisgarh, 2025 SCC OnLine Chh 11337, decided on 26-11-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the petitioner: T.K. Jha
For the respondent: Additional Advocate General Y.S. Thakur