Court directs removal of unauthorized school CCTV footage from social media to protect student privacy and prevent stigma.

ORDER

WMP.No.7195 of 2026 has been filed to permit the petitioners to join together to file a single writ petition. This petition is ordered on payment of separate court fee.

2. This petition has been filed for a direction, directing the respondents 1 to 5 to initiate appropriate legal action against the persons responsible for recording, transferring, and publishing the video footage from the school premises and circulating the same through television media and social media platforms, portraying the petitioners/students with distorted and false information, without any complaint, knowledge, or consent of the Petitioners or their parents, thereby causing serious social stigma, disrepute, and disruption to the academic career of the petitioners, by considering the representations submitted by the petitioners dated 06.02.2026 and 14.02.2026.

3. It is the case of the petitioners that the petitioners are minor students studying 10^th standard in the 6^th respondent school and are academically performing well despite their financially constrained family background. During a revision test in social science, the petitioners inadvertently committed mistakes while answering compulsory questions, for which concerned teacher struck them lightly as a corrective academic measures. The petitioners and their parents did not treat the said incident as misconduct or cruelty and had no grievance against the concerned teacher, however, on 05.02.2026, television news channel telecasted video footage of the incident with exaggerated narration portraying it as corporal punishment, due to which, the petitioners have been subjected to ridicule by others, which has adversely affected their morale and academic concentration. Hence, this petition.

4. Counter has been filed by the fifth respondent stating that the video was directly recorded from CCTV camera by one Pugazhendhi, Higher Grade I Computer Instructor and a petition is also given to the Inspector of Police (Cyber Crime Branch) Dharmapuri on 24.02.2026 by the fourth respondent to investigate, identity and for taking action who shared CCTV recordings to the social media. The said teacher is also placed under suspension. Hence, seeks for appropriate orders.

5. Heard both sides and perused the materials placed on record.

6. In view of the above, this Court without going into the merits of the case, directs the respondents to take effective steps to remove the videographs which was uploaded in the social media by making appropriate complaint to the Law Enforcing Agency and also for taking appropriate action against the person who have unauthorisedly uploaded the videograph. Accordingly, this writ petition stands disposed of. No costs. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions stand closed.