SC tells MP convent to take back Muslim boy

The Supreme Court today issued a fresh notice to a convent school in Madhya Pradesh on a Muslim student's right to sport a beard.

A Bench of Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi termed "ridiculous" the school's decision to remove the student, Mohammed Salim, after he refused to shave his beard on religious grounds.

The apex court notice to Nirmala Convent High School in Madhya Pradesh comes after another Bench recused itself from hearing the matter.

The earlier Bench of Justices R V Raveendran and Markandey Katju initially dismissed the student's plea.

However, Justice Katju at that time made certain controversial observations that the country cannot be Talibanised by insistence on sporting a beard.

Justice Katju, subsequently in a review petition filed by the student, tendered an apology and recalled the dismissal order, and recommended that the matter be posted for a fresh hearing.

The matter was thus posted before another Bench, which while issuing notice to the school, directed that the student shall be allowed to pursue his studies further until the matter is decided.