Reprimanding student for indiscipline not abetment to suicide: SC

The apex court stated that it is a solemn duty of a teacher to instil discipline in students.

The Supreme Court on October 6, 2021, said that if a teacher reprimands students for indiscipline or bunking classes that action would not amount to abetment of suicide if an emotional and sentimental student takes the extreme step after being admonished. According to TOI, the apex court stated that it is a solemn duty of a teacher to instil discipline in students. Quashing a criminal proceeding against a teacher of a private school who was booked for abetment after a Class 9 student died by suicide after being reprimanded for bunking classes, a Bench of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari passed the order. FIR was filed against the teacher as he had reprimanded the student who also named him on a suicide note.

After examining the note, the Bech came to the understanding that the deceased was of hypersensitive temperament and the same ed him to take such a step and which would not ordinarily induce a similarly circumstanced student to die by suicide.

“It is a solemn duty of a teacher to instil discipline in students. It is not uncommon that teachers reprimand a student for not being attentive or not being upto the mark in studies or for bunking classes or not attending school. The disciplinary measures adopted by a teacher or other authorities of a school, reprimanding a student for his indiscipline, in our considered opinion, would not be tantamount to provoking a student to commit suicide unless there are repeated specific allegations of harassment and insult deliberately without any justifiable cause or reason,” Justice Murari said according to TOI.

The court said a simple act of reprimand of a student for his behaviour or indiscipline by a teacher, who is under moral obligations to inculcate the good qualities of a human being in a student would definitely not amount to instigation or intentionally aid to the commission of a suicide by a student. According to TOI, the court said there must be an allegation of either direct or indirect act of incitement to the commission of offence of suicide. Mere allegations of harassment of the deceased by another person would not be sufficient in itself, unless, there are allegations of such actions on the part of the accused which compelled the commission of suicide, the court added.

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