A Jaipur court on Wednesday received a fresh application seeking action under the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act against the owner and principal of Neerja Modi School in the case involving the death of nine-year-old Amaira, who allegedly jumped from the fourth floor of the school building.
The plea argues that legal provisions dealing with cruelty towards children should not be limited to the class teacher alone but should also apply to the school's management, including owner Saurav Modi and principal Indu Dubey.
According to Amaira's father, Vijay Meena, the police chargesheet currently invokes Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act only against the class teacher. The family has now urged the court to take cognisance of the same offence against the school's top authorities as well.
The matter came up before the Court of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-10. However, since legal representatives for the school were not present, the hearing could not proceed in detail. The court has scheduled the next hearing for July 23, when arguments on the application are expected to be heard.
The fresh plea follows the release of classroom CCTV footage by Amaira's parents. The footage, according to the family, shows the child being repeatedly bullied by classmates. They have alleged that despite her attempts to seek assistance, the class teacher did not intervene effectively.
Representing the victim's family, advocate Amit Singh appeared before the court. A statement issued by the parents' body, Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh, said the hearing was deferred because the school's counsel was absent.
Speaking after the proceedings, Amaira's father said the family had waited a long time for justice and remained confident that the court would examine all the evidence before deciding on further action.
The Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh reiterated its support for the family. Its Rajasthan spokesperson, Abhishek Jain Bittu, said the organisation would continue standing with Amaira's parents throughout the legal process.
The case will now return to court on July 23, when the application seeking additional charges against the school's owner and principal is expected to be taken up.