A teacher, who had been suspended, for not allowing a 16-year-old dalit student into the class and scolding him for breaking some flower pots leading to the boy allegedly committing suicide, has moved the High court bench here seeking to quash the order. The teacher J.Samuel Gnana Muthu of a private school at Veeravanallur in Tirunelveli district, submitted that he was suspended after police registered case against him and two others under Prevention of Atrocities and SC and ST Act, and IPC section 306 (causing to commit suicide). The case was registered based on the complaint given by the boy’s father, he said. He said the Tirunelveli Chief Education Officer had no jurisdiction to take disciplinary action against teachers working in a private school,that too in a minority institution. He said the CEO had invoked 17(c)of the Tamil Nadu Civil Service Rules 1955 which would not apply in respect of teachers working in private schools as they were governed by the Tamil Nadu Recognised Private Schools (Regulation) Act 1973. The power to suspend the private school teacher vested only with the correspondent (administrator) of the school concerned.Hence the CEO’s order suspending him should be quashed, the petitioner said. He also sought interim relief of staying the order of suspension issued on October12. The incident took place in August when the Class X student allegedly committed suicide, unable to cough up the fine imposed by school authorities for breaking some flower pots. PTI
