LUDHIANA: Raikot police booked a government school teacher on Sunday for allegedly sexually harassing a Class VIII student.
The FIR has been lodged after the school’s head, on the directions of Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, lodged a police complaint against the accused.
The accused, a computer teacher, has been charged with
sexual harassment under
Indian Penal Code and sections of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The alleged incident took place on May 2. It has been alleged that it was raining heavily on that day and the Class VIII student stayed back at school, while all other students had left by then. The teacher was also present in school. Sometime later, when the girl tried to go out, the teacher allegedly grabbed her and harassed her.
However, the girl escaped from there and informed her family on reaching home. On May 4, the family complained to the school against the computer teacher. An enquiry indicted the teacher, but the panchayat intervened and resolved the matter, and no one approached police.
However, some village residents reported the incident to Punjab secretary (education) Krishan Kumar, who asked local education officials to submit a report. This report also indicted the teacher. Taking suo-motu notice of the matter, the Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights summoned the school head and DEO (secondary) Swaranjit Kaur.
The DEO presented the report which indicted the teacher. The commission then directed DPI (secondary) Paramjit Singh to suspend the teacher and the education department to lodge a police complaint.
Jagraon senior superintendent of police Surjeet Singh said confirmed the registration of a case. “We will arrest him soon,” the SSP added.
School gets new head
The Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Right gave a dressing down to the head of the school where a teacher allegedly harassed a student for not reporting the matter to high officials and thepolice. The charge of the school has now been given to another teacher.
Not a first
A Punjabi teacher of a government school in Raikot was arrested on February 7 this year for allegedly raping a student. Two more teachers were booked for forcing the girl through an abortion when she got pregnant. The student was raped inside the school’s library. Police had also arrested the staff of diagnostic center which helped the accused in abortion.
Representative image