Anti-CAA play: Child remains absent for preparatory exam

he 11-year-old girl who was part of a team of 11 students who enacted a play against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Primary School here recently, did not appear for preparatory examination which began on Monday. The widowed mother of this girl has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Shaheen Education Foundation chief executive officer Thouseef Madikeri told DH that the girl, who was hitherto under the care of her neighbour, had been shifted to a private hostel in Bidar. She is being looked after by a teacher. The girl was shifted on the directions of the district child welfare committee. The student didn’t attend the preparatory examination as she is yet to come to terms with the arrest of her widowed mother. The police have stopped visiting the school for questioning the students and interrogating the staff over the incident, he added.

The mother of the child and Fareeda Begum, the headmistress of the primary school who was in charge of the programme were arrested on January 30.

Questioning the children in uniform by the police on the first day after the incident had drawn criticism. According to the police source, after the incident, a team of police led by deputy superintendent of police questioned two students a day in the presence of the district child welfare committee chairman and district child protection officer.

The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has submitted a report to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights over the incident. Meanwhile, the principal district and sessions court on Tuesday adjourned to February 17, the petition filed by office-bearers of the Foundation seeking anticipatory bail. Similarly, the bail plea of Najbunissa has been deferred to February 14, advocate Keshavarao Srimale said.