India: Teacher in sexual harassment row a repeat offender

Asia/India/20.06.18/Por Payal Dhawan/Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

LUDHIANA : A day after Raikotpolice booked a government school teacher for allegedly sexually harassing a Class VIII school, the education department suspended him on Monday. In the suspension notice, director of public instructions (secondary) Paramjit Singh said the teacher was accused of sexual harassment by another girl student in 2016.

The official said the teacher had at that time given an apology for the incident. In the suspension notice, a copy of which is with TOI, the department has given 15 days to the teacher to give an explanation on the accusation against him.

The notice has stated that this was the second time the teacher had been accused of sexually harassing a student, so he was being suspended by the school. The education department’s action came a day after Raikot police registered a case against the teacher for allegedly sexually harassing a Class VIII student of his school.

The FIR was lodged after the school’s head had filed a police complaint against him, on the direction of Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights. Following the complaint, police had booked the teacher under Section 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and under sections of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

It has been alleged that the schoolgirl had to stay back at school because of bad weather, while most student had left for home, on May 2. The girl and the teacher were alone when he saw the girl, grabbed her and harassed her, it has been alleged.

The girl escaped from there and informed her family about the incident on reaching home. Her family had complained to the school against the teacher on May 4. An internal probe by the school had indicted the teacher. However, he was let-off after the matter was resolved by the village’s panchayat, and no one approached the police.

However, some village residents reported the incident to Punjab secretary (education) Krishan Kumar, who ordered local education officials to submit a report after inquiry. The report of district education officer also indicted the teacher. Taking suo-motu notice of the matter, the Punjab State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights summoned the school head and district education officer (secondary) Swaranjit Kaur.

The DEO presented a report which indicted the teacher. After this, the commission directed DPI (secondary) Paramjit Singh to suspend the teacher and the education department to lodge a police complaint.

Source of the notice: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/teacher-in-sexual-harassment-row-a-repeat-offender/articleshow/64547454.cms