Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 10: The Supreme Court (SP) has upheld the sentencing of a school teacher in Karnataka for being responsible for the loss of a second standard student's eyesight in the course of giving corporal punishment to him.

A bench comprising Justice R Bhanumathi and Justice Indira Banerjee of the Supreme Court heard a case in which a second standard student allegedly lost his eyesight. C R Cariappa, teacher of Rani Chennamma School at Hospet had hit a second standard student with a stick for not wearing uniforms and shoes when attending school. During this thrashing, the student has suffered injury to his left eye and lost his eyesight. Even after two surgeries, the eyesight of the boy could not be restored.

The parents had filed complaint against the teacher. The court which heard the petition, had dismissed the case. The parents then went to high court and appealed against this judgement, and the high court held the teacher guilty in the case. It imposed two years jail term under Indian Penal Code section 326.

The teacher had gone on appeal in the Supreme Court against this verdict. The all-women bench of the Supreme Court, which heard the appeal, dismissed the teacher's contention that he was innocent in the case. However, it partially modified the high court judgement, and brought down the tenure of imprisonment to one year. At the same time, the teacher was fined Rs 50,000, which would be disbursed to the student as compensation.