M A I N   N E W S

Angry over girl’s ‘rape’ by teacher in Bhiwani, villagers lock school
Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service

Policemen keep a watch as villagers protest against the rape of a schoolgirl at Nigana Kalan village in Bhiwani, Haryana, on Saturday.

Bhiwani, November 16
Haryana’s rape shame continues. Ten days after a class X student belonging to a Dalit community was allegedly raped by a teacher of Nigana Kalan government high school in Bhiwani district, angry villagers today thrashed the accused and locked the school gates.

Sources said Sanskrit teacher Shiv Charan had asked the girl to bring him a glass of water while he was alone in a school room on November 6. When the girl went to serve him water, he allegedly raped her. He then threatened her of dire consequences.

Terrified after the assault, the girl started avoiding going to the school on one pretext or other. Today, when her parents pressured her to go to school, she told them about the incident. Members of the girl’s family and some villagers then reached the school and thrashed the accused teacher. They later locked the school gates.

A case has been registered under Section 376 of the IPC, various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused teacher.

School headmaster Ramesh Kumar has lodged a counter-complaint of assault against some villagers alleging they barged into the school and thrashed staff members.

Bhiwani SP Mitesh Jain said the police had started investigating the case.

Another gang-rape

Bhiwani: A Dalit student of Industrial Training Institute in Tosham town of Bhiwani was allegedly abducted and gang-raped by four youths at her native Pataudi village on Saturday evening. Three of the accused have been identified as Vikram, Sunil, residents of Pataudi village, and Chhotu from a neighbouring village. The victim’s family members reported the matter to the Tosham police. Hunt is on to arrest the accused. — TNS