Kerala High Court Rules Teacher’s Use of Cane for Discipline Not a Crime, Quashes Criminal Case

Kerala High Court held that reasonable corporal punishment by a teacher to enforce classroom discipline does not constitute a criminal offence under the law when done in good faith and without malicious intent

Kochi, February 12, 2026: In a significant judgment with implications for school discipline and legal proceedings against educators, the Kerala High Court has quashed a criminal case against a 36-year-old school teacher accused of caning a student, finding that the act did not qualify as a crime under current statutes.

The case arose from an incident on February 10, 2025, at a school in Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram district, where the teacher allegedly struck a pupil on the buttocks with a cane while attempting to enforce discipline. An FIR was filed three days later, and the teacher was charged under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for voluntarily causing hurt by a dangerous weapon and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Justice C. Pratheep Kumar examined the substance of the allegations and medical evidence, noting that the cane could not be classified as a “dangerous weapon” under the law, since no external injuries were found and the force used appeared to be minimal. The court reiterated that teachers occupy a position of trust and implied authority when parents entrust children to their care, which includes maintaining order and correcting behaviour within reasonable bounds.The bench observed that corporal punishment administered to improve a student’s conduct without malicious intent falls within a teacher’s disciplinary role, and therefore does not constitute an offence under the relevant provisions of the BNS or the Juvenile Justice Act. Based on these factors, all criminal proceedings against the teacher were quashed.

Legal experts say the decision clarifies the legal threshold for criminal liability in cases involving discipline by educators, emphasizing the importance of good faith and proportionality in actions taken to correct student behaviour. However, the ruling does not sanction excessive force or harmful conduct, and courts will continue to examine facts of individual cases to distinguish between lawful discipline and abuse.

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