Mohammad Hafiz, the former principal of HSS Bani school in Jammu, and lecturer Mohammad Farooq, who were suspended in August 2023 for 'thrashing' a student for allegedly writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the blackboard, have been reinstated after a 'departmental inquiry', media reports said.

An order by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department said the Director of School Education had reinstated the accused principal, Mohammad Hafiz, citing a lack of evidence and witnesses to testify against him, reported OpIndia.

The order recommended he “remain vigilant in the future as he holds the vital position of principal and the head of the institution.”

The committee has also recommended the reinstatement of senior lecturer Mohammad Farooq, with the imposition of a penalty and withholding of two increments, reported OpIndia.

The period of suspension in the case of both officers was treated as on-duty.

Apart from being reinstated, both of them will be granted 10 months of salary for their period of suspension.

The incident:

Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Hafiz allegedly thrashed the student in the government school HSS Bani for writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the blackboard on Aug 23 last year.

A video of the minor victim in hospital went viral on social media later triggering an outrage and leading to an investigation by the education department.