Two days after the Chandigarh Police booked 50-year- old Manish Arora, supervisor at Bal Niketan in Sector 15, for sexually harassing minor girls, it arrested him on Wednesday when he reached the institute after his four-day leave.
Arora was taken to the Sector-11 police station and was questioned on the issue. However, the police will produce him in court on Thursday.
Arora was booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to outrage modesty of woman) and 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Monday.
DSP (central) Satish Kumar said, “The police are questioning Arora to know the details of the incidents.”
Meanwhile, Arora claimed innocence and said it was a conspiracy hatched against him. “I have never touched the girls with any bad intention. All allegations are false.”
The police are also probing the role of two woman attendants Manjit Kaur and Meena Shar ma, whom the girls had complained about the Arora’s behaviour, but they had failed to take action.
Police sources said Arora came to the institute after pressure was mounted on his family at Kurukshetra in Haryana.
The matter came to light on April 2 after a complaint was received on child helpline number 1098, reportedly from the Bal Niketan inmates. After the complaint was forwarded to the social welfare department, orders for an inquiry were issued and a four-member committee was set up on April 3. The committee had found that the complaint against the supervisor was genuine, after which a case police case was registered.
{{/usCountry}}The matter came to light on April 2 after a complaint was received on child helpline number 1098, reportedly from the Bal Niketan inmates. After the complaint was forwarded to the social welfare department, orders for an inquiry were issued and a four-member committee was set up on April 3. The committee had found that the complaint against the supervisor was genuine, after which a case police case was registered.
{{/usCountry}}Sixteen girls, aged between 8 and 18, had deposed before the committee, of which only 12 complained about Arora sexually harassing them.