A 9-years-old girl living in Abbaspur, a small tehsil near Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was physically abused allegedly by her female teacher in a state-run primary school in Upper Tangerran village. The issue aroused to the surface when a video of the girl bearing marks of physical abuse went viral over the weekend. The girl had bruised swollen eyes which doctors say is because of flogging on the head. The marks of flogging were also seen on girl’s back.

The video was made by the girl’s mother saying that the female teacher had beaten her daughter so violently, allegedly for not learning her lesson on Tuesday. The video caused much rage and disturbance at Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The little girl’s grandfather and uncle took her to a police station, the next day, to write a report against the teacher.

The police confirmed the news on Sunday after they had filed a FIR against the teacher.  Since there is no such law in AJK where the teacher that gives corporal punishment to the students must be punished therefore the case was registered under normal penal code sections which needed a medical report of the victim. The police sent her to the local clinic but she was referred to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital and thus the medical report of the girl from Sheikh Khalifa Hospital was provided to the police.

The police conducted several raids to bring the ruthless teacher to justice but she is eloped after the incident picked momentum. A lady sub Inspector was assigned to the case for both the additional comfort of the victim’s family and better search of the female suspect.

The police further implied that the accused teacher is not an appointed teacher at the school but is a surrogate one, appointed by the appointee on a minimal salary. If this is true, the police plan to add another clause for impersonation in the FIR. Qazi second officer in Police Station Abbaspur said while talking to a news reporter, “If it’s proven that she is not a duly appointed teacher, we will also add a section in the FIR dealing with impersonation.” He also said, “We will also write to the concerned authorities to bring those officials to justice who had turned a blind eye towards this unlawful practice.” 

This has become a really disastrous malpractice where the appointed teacher does not teach the students but instead hire another teacher for a minimal salary and turn their heads from their responsibilities. These temporary or surrogate teachers are often ruthless and lack the proper skills of teaching. Teaching is a really divine and nation-building profession which should be treated with great respect rather than just a way to make money. The District Education Officer (DEO) Rehana also visited the poor girl at the hospital and assured her family justice at all cost.