The police on Tuesday arrested a government school teacher for molesting 6 girls in the school of Akola in Maharashtra. The accused, identified as Pramod Manohar Sardar (47) allegedly used to harass the girls by showing them obscene videos.
Pramod is a teacher at Zila Parishad School in Akola's Kajikhed and was detained for questioning soon after the incident was reported. As per the FIR, registered at Ural police station under sections 74 and 75 of the BNS and POCSO Act, six female students complained that the teacher had been showing them obscene videos for the past four months, the officials said. Further investigations were underway.
Providing information about the incident, SP Akola Bachchan Singh said, " Akola Police received a complaint of molestation of 6 school girls by Pramod Manohar Sardar, a teacher of the Zilla Parishad School in Kajikhed. Police immediately arrested the accused teacher and recorded the statements of the victim girls. Cases under sections 74 and 75 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act were registered. Further investigation is underway."
The crime came to light after the girl students called the toll-free number of the Child Welfare Committee. Members of the Child Welfare Committee visited the school on Tuesday morning and spoke to some of the girls, following which the case was registered. Asha Mirge, a former member of the State Women's Commission, demanded strict action against the teacher.
Badlapur school sexual assault case
Notably, the incident was reported in the wake of protests over the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur town near Mumbai. The accused allegedly touched the girls inappropriately which was reported to the police by parents. The agitated parents and other local residents blocked the trains at Badlapur railway station leading 10 express trains diverted on Tuesday. The protests also witnessed friction between the agitators and police when the former side pelted stones while the latter resorted to baton charges and tear gas shelling.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the matter, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis assured justice and said that the matter will be heard in the fast-track court. Moreover, till evening, the government suspended three police officials - a senior police inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head constable - attached to Badlapur police station for alleged negligence of duty in investigating the sexual abuse case.
(With inputs from agencies)
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