In Himachal Pradesh, a teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing 24 girls at a government school. The case came to light after students complained against the mathematics teacher during a meeting of the sexual harassment committee. The teacher has been taken into police custody for three days, and a case has been registered under various sections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
During the ‘Shiksha Samvad’ programme in a government school in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, students from classes VIII to X complained to the principal about harassment. The students submitted a written complaint, alleging they were touched inappropriately by the school mathematics educator, a trained graduate teacher.
The parents were called in, and it was found that even they were unaware of the harassment faced by their children. Upon learning, parents raised slogans against the school management and the teacher, demanding action. A case was registered, and the accused teacher was arrested soon after. Meanwhile, the teacher has been suspended.
Terming it a “serious and sensitive” issue, the Director of School Education asked the Deputy Director of Elementary Education, Sirmaur, to conduct a preliminary inquiry into this matter immediately, reported news agency PTI.
In a letter, the Director asked him to visit the school personally, record the version of the students, teachers and other staff, and submit a report to his office within a week.
Yogesh Rolta, Additional Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, said that the matter is serious and the investigation is being carried out with priority. “Statements have been recorded, and we have completed a spot visit as well,” he said.
The accused was produced in a local court on Sunday evening and remanded to three-day police custody.
