Rape of Dalit schoolgirl: Teacher held

Jaipur: Jhunjhunu police arrested the 45-year-old teacher of a government school, a day after an FIR was registered against him for raping a Dalit minor student for four months.
The police found out during investigation that allegations of sexual harassment had been levelled against the same teacher when he was posted in a nearby village. The police are probing if there are other victims in the school.
The incident was reported from Jhunjhunu's Chidawa.The family members of the 14-year-old girl had approached the police on Thursday alleging that the teacher, Rajesh Sharma, had been blackmailing and raping the girl since January. The police rounded up the teacher late evening on Thursday and arrested him after interrogation on Friday.
Sources said that the teacher broke down after the arrest and pleaded before the policemen to let him off as he would not do "such a thing" in the future.
The teacher had reportedly molested a woman when he was posted in another village in Bhandoda area. He was then transferred to the village in Chidawa area.
"Rajesh Sharma raped the girl for the first time in January," said the officer. Family members allege that the teacher had threatened her of dire consequences if she told anyone about it.
"We have registered a case under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and have launched an investigation. A medical examination was conducted on the girl on Thursday. We are awaiting the report. The girl's statement will be recorded before a magistrate," said the officer.