Teacher arrested in residential school sexual abuse case

AURANGABAD: The Beed police on Tuesday evening arrested a male teacher accused of committing sexual atrocities against minor girls at a government-run residential school in Shirur taluka.
Beed superintendent of police G Sreedhar said the suspect, who was on the run for three days, would be produced before the local court on Wednesday. “We will be seeking police remand of the suspect for detailed interrogation,” he said.
Police have slapped the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012, on the teacher, besides invoking IPC 354 (A) (sexual harassment).
Meanwhile, the activists who blew the lid off the sexual abuse incidents have expressed apprehension that the case might become weak as the victims and their families could succumb to pressure and social stigma.
“These are minor girls and their families are financially poor. We fear that the victims would keep mum before the investigating authorities. Police should take care that the case does not become weak,” said Varsha Deshpande, founder of Lek Ladki Abhiyan.
The advocacy group has also cautioned that it would knock the door of judiciary in case the investigation ends on an unsatisfactory note.
“We have video recording of the girls narrating the sexual crimes committed against them and also a letter from one girl who exposed all the wrongdoings. The videos were shot in the presence of officials from the social justice department, and can be used as proof. If the accused is let off, we will drag the concerned school, police and other government officials to the court,” Deshpande said.
SP Sreedhar, however, allayed the fears raised by advocacy groups. “The investigation is heading in proper direction. We will file proper charge-sheet in the court after rigorous interrogation of the suspect,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior officials from the social justice department said they were awaiting another inquiry report to take action against the concerned school management. “Based on the first inquiry report, we have suspended the accused teacher. The future course of action against the school will be based on the outcome of the inquiry,” a senior division-level official said.
The Lek Ladki Abhiyan has alleged that the school in question has still not appointed lady staff despite the heinous incident.
The girls from the school have alleged that the male teacher forced them to bathe naked in the open in his presence and also made sexual advances at them at night.
The incident, which came close on the heels of rape of a girl from a tribal school in Buldhana district, has demanded stern action against errant institutions that compromise with safety of girl students.