Teachers should be allowed to carry small cane to discipline students, rules Kerala HC

Kochi: Small punishments are okay.

In a recent ruling, the Kerala High Court stated that teachers should be allowed to carry a small cane in their hands to discipline students without fear of criminal charges. The court also emphasised that police should not automatically register a case if a complaint is filed, especially in cases of minor discipline.

The court's order, issued by Justice P.V. Kunjikrishnan, came in response to a case where a teacher was granted anticipatory bail after a complaint was made alleging that a sixth-grade student had been beaten with a cane. The judge expressed that teachers should not be fearful of facing criminal charges for applying small punishments aimed at the betterment of the students' future.

The ruling also referenced a poem by Rafeeq Ahmed, published in Mathrubhumi on the 2024 school entrance day, which described the character of "Koman Chettan"—a person who files cases for any and every minor incident. The poem illustrates the tendency to take legal action over trivial matters:

The court remarked that such individuals should not be the ones filing complaints against teachers. However, it acknowledged that without people like "Koman chettan", there would be fewer cases in the courts.

The court further outlined the following guidelines for police actions:

• A preliminary investigation should be conducted before a case is registered.
• If necessary, notices can be issued to teachers, but no arrests should be made during the preliminary investigation phase.
• The police chief is expected to issue a circular within a month to ensure proper procedure is followed.

The court stressed that while reasonable complaints from parents and students must be investigated, they should not be driven by individuals like "Koman chettan," who resort to legal action at the slightest inconvenience.