An association of government school teachers of Chandigarh held a silent protest urging the UT Administration to conduct a thorough probe into a case under the Protection of Child from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act against a government teacher Wednesday. The teacher, 36, was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a minor student on November 2. He is currently lodged in Model Jail, Burail.
The protesting teachers handed over two memoranda to the representative of director, school education, which will be referred to UT Adviser Dharam Pal. The protest was held at Jama Masjid Ground, Sector 20, where over 200 government school teachers participated.
The teachers were carrying placards with slogans demanding the review of certain sections of the POCSO and an impartial probe against the teacher, who is married and a father of two. “We have submitted two memoranda. One was addressed to the home minister, law minister, law commission and members of the Parliament seeking an amendment in Section 19 of the POCSO Act. Another memoranda was addressed to the Adviser seeking an impartial probe in the case. We are sure that the teacher was implicated in a false case,” Arvind Rana, president, Samgarh Siksha Teachers Welfare Association, said.
Section 19 of the POCSO Act makes it compulsory for anyone, including authorities such as hospitals, to inform the police in case they come across any incident of alleged sexual assault on a minor, or those below 18 years, irrespective of consent.
The association demanded that the procedure set under Section 32 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, be followed in the matter, which, they alleged, was not. Section 32 states a Children Redressal Committee be formed in every government school to address complaints raised by anyone including students. The protestors said they are ready to take the movement to next level if needed.
The teacher was arrested following the allegations by a student, who said she was asked to watch obscene video clips inside the school premises.