Chhattisgarh HC Takes Suo Moto Action Over "Horrific" Corporal Punishment of 4-Year-Old

Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh – The High Court of Chhattisgarh has taken suo moto cognizance of a disturbing incident of corporal punishment after a news report detailed how a four-year-old LKG student was allegedly tied with a rope and hung from a tree by two teachers for not completing his homework. The Court has directed the Secretary of the Department of School Education to file a personal affidavit explaining the matter.

The case, IN THE MATTER OF SUO MOTO PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (WPPIL No. 17 of 2025) , was taken up for an urgent hearing on November 26, 2025, after the Court noted a news article published the same day.

Court Intervenes After Viral Video Surfaces

The High Court initiated the hearing based on a news report in The Times of India titled, “Child tied to rope, hung from tree over homework.” The judgment noted the gravity of the report, which described the incident as a "horrific case of corporal punishment."

According to the court order, which summarized the news report, the incident occurred in Narayanpur village in the Surajpur district. The judgment states: > "...a four-year-old LKG student was tied to a rope and hung from a tree. The incident was reported from Narayanpur village, when two female teachers of a private school punished the child for allegedly not completing his homework."

The two teachers were identified as Kajal Sahu and Anuradha Dewangan. The incident gained public attention after a video, filmed by a person from a nearby rooftop, went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. The report also mentioned that the teachers were seen trying to stop the youth from filming rather than attending to the child.

State Directed to Respond

During the hearing, Mr. Y.S. Thakur, the learned Additional Advocate General for the State of Chhattisgarh, informed the court that "action has been taken against the concerned teachers by the authority concerned."

However, finding the initial response insufficient given the severity of the allegations, the Court issued a direct order to a top state official. The judgment directs: > "In view of above, the Secretary, Department of School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh is directed to file his personal affidavit by the next date of hearing regarding the aforesaid issue."

The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 9, 2025, by which date the affidavit must be submitted. The order underscores the judiciary's role in safeguarding child rights and holding the state's education apparatus accountable for ensuring the safety and dignity of students in schools.

#CorporalPunishment #ChildRights #SuoMoto

Case Title: In the matter of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation vs State of Chhattisgarh - 2025 Supreme(Online)(Chh) 10613