17-05-2025
Publish SSLC results of suspects in Thamarassery student death case: panel
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Director of General Education (DGE) to publish the results of six students who are suspects in the Mohammed Shahabas murder case at Thamarassery in Kozhikode by May 18.
The commission comprising chairperson K.V. Manoj Kumar and members Mohankumar B. and Wilson F. observed that a decision of the examination board to withhold the SSLC results of the suspects and debar them from the SSLC examinations for three years had no legal backing and was a violation of Right to Life guaranteed in the Constitution.
It was acting on a petition from parents of the suspects seeking immediate declaration of their result and opportunity to continue their education. The students had appeared for the SSLC examinations at Government Children's Home for Boys, Vellimadukunnu, Kozhikode, as a temporary arrangement.
The commission said the students were only accused in the case. They had been given permission to sit for the SSLC examinations, so there was no legal hurdle to declaration of their results.
SSLC guidelines
As per the guidelines for the SSLC examinations, if students' results are to be withheld and they are to be debarred from taking the examinations again, they should have committed an offence during the examinations. In this case, the incident concerned occurred before the start of the examinations and had no connection to exam procedures. This raised the question if the exam board could take action in the matter and withhold the results.
Many children in conflict with law had appeared for SSLC examinations in the State and their results had been declared. The board decision violated Article 14 of the Constitution that guarantees equality before law.
As the suspects were in the Juvenile Justice Board's judicial custody in connection with legal procedures, the commission could not take any decision on their higher education. However, declaration of their results will not have any impact on the legal action against them.
A report on the matter by the Pareeksha Bhavan secretary had claimed that the exam board had unanimously come to the decision that the suspects be debarred from the SSLC examinations for the next three years and their 2025 exam results be withheld till then. However, this action was against the guidelines for conduct of the SSLC examinations and precedence, the commission said.
Action-taken report sought
Withholding the students' results would also prevent them from applying for Plus One higher secondary admission the last date for which was May 20, the commission pointed out in its directive to the DGE and the Pareeksha Bhavan secretary.
The commission also sought an action-taken report from the officials within 10 days.
