School headmaster in Himachal’s Mandi booked for sexually assaulting 4 minor girls

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, June 22

A case of sexual harassment involving four female students at a government school in Jogindernagar area of Mandi district on Friday surfaced following Shimla’s Choupal incident.

The police have taken the school teacher into custody after parents of the victims lodged a complaint.

Confirming the incident, DSP Padhar Dinesh Kumar said the 51-year-old school teacher is accused of harassing the minor students.

The complaint, registered under the POCSO Act, prompted the authorities to detain the accused for interrogation. Statements of the students would be recorded in court.

The accused headmaster had been posted at the government school since December 2021.

The harassment allegedly began in 2023, without the knowledge of the students' parents. Upon receiving a complaint via the Child Helpline (1098), the district child protection unit intervened and documented statements from the victims and their families.

The investigations revealed that aside from incidents involving two students from Class 4 and 5, the accused had also allegedly harassed two other students in the Class 6. The police have gathered information from a total of 15 students attending the school.

"The case has been filed under the POCSO Act against the accused teacher for alleged harassment of minor students. The accused will be presented in court, and statements from the victims will be recorded during legal proceedings," the DSP said.

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