A math teacher in Himachal Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly molesting 24 students at a government school. Following students’ complaints to a sexual harassment committee, a case has been filed under several provisions, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act. The teacher was produced in a local court on Sunday evening and has been in police custody for three days.
Yogesh Rolta, Additional Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, said the investigation would be carried out without delay. “Statements have been recorded, and we have completed a spot visit as well,” he said.
Students from grade VIII complained to the principal about harassment during the ‘Shiksha Samvad’ event at a government school in the Sirmaur region of Himachal Pradesh. They claimed that the teacher inappropriately touched them.
It has emerged that the parents were unaware of the harassment but demanded that the teacher be brought to book.
Reports added that they chanted slogans against the teacher and the school administration.
Soon after a case was filed, the teacher was taken into custody and suspended.
The director of school education referred to it as a “serious and sensitive” subject and requested that Sirmaur, the Deputy Director of Elementary Education, launch an immediate preliminary investigation.
The director recorded the version of the students, teachers, and other staff.
The episode calls into question a disconcerting reality. Are schools equipped to deal with child abuse?
Three years ago, OutLawed India’s initiative – Project Safe Schools did a study on sexual abuse frameworks in schools. The online survey collected students’ responses from 1,635 schools across 200 cities in India. It revealed that schools are far from secure.
The latest case is yet another reminder of how vulnerable children are even in educational environments. Security of students within schools remains alarmingly insufficient.
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