Amritsar: Government teacher suspended for molesting 3 girls, still at large

Amritsar, January 5

A day after the registration of an FIR against a government teacher for sexually harassing three minor girl students in a government school at a Majitha village, the Education Department has suspended him.

The order was issued by Satnam Singh, Director, School Education (Elementary). He has asked the District Education Officer (DEO) Elementary, Rajesh Sharma, to conduct a probe into the charges against him and send a report soon.

During the suspension, accused teacher Rakesh Kumar would report at the Tarn Taran headquarters.

Not approached by official

We have not been approached by any official so far. We are not sending our children to school until their safety is ensured. —Victim’s mother

He was booked by the Majitha police under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code added with Sections 10 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act.

Family members of the three victims were reluctant to send their wards to the school even after the registration of the FIR against the accused. No official from the district administration or the department approached their family members to assure them of the safety of their children.

“We have not been approached by any official till now. We are not sending our children to school until their safety is ensured,” said a victim’s mother on whose complaint the police had registered a case.

The victims aged 8, 9 and 10 years are studying in standard 3rd, 4th and 5th in the government school. All three classes are conducted in a single room, the mother said.

Besides the three victims, the complainant also refused to send her younger daughter to the school.

Rajesh Sharma said a report was sent to the Director, Education, yesterday and the accused was suspended today. He said investigations would be carried out into the allegations against him.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Teacher Union has condemned the incident and said an investigation should be conducted into the shocking incident.

“If the charges were found to be true, stern action should be taken against the teacher. The children are the responsibility of the teachers when they come to temple of education. The incident has left the teachers community shocked,” said Ashwani Kumar Awasthi, district unit president of the union.

Sub-Inspector Kamalpreet Kaur, investigating officer, said the accused was absconding. Efforts were on to nab him.

Rakesh Kumar (26), a resident of Majitha, was on a probation. He had joined services around one-and-a-half-year ago and was unmarried.