Teacher gets 5-year jail term for molesting four girl students

Mumbai: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court in the city convicted a teacher for molesting at least four minor girls and sentenced him to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment on Tuesday

Mumbai: A special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court in the city convicted a teacher for molesting at least four minor girls and sentenced him to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment on Tuesday.

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According to the prosecution, the incident came to light on March 4, 2016, when the mother of two girl students – studying in Class V and Class VI - noticed that her daughters had not eaten tiffin at school and one of them appeared panic-stricken. When the mother asked her daughter, she revealed that one of their male teachers had molested them in school.

The woman also learnt that the teacher had misbehaved with her other daughter as well, the next day she went to the school and submitted a written complaint to the school authorities. She also enquired with the parents of other children studying at the school, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Sion police station. On March 11, 2016, the woman approached the Sion police and lodged a complaint. She came to know that similar complaints of molestation are registered against the teacher at the police station, but the school had not taken any action.

Based on the complaint, the police registered an FIR and booked the teacher – a Kalyan resident – under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

At least four girl students, including the two sisters, testified before the court and revealed how the English and Science teacher misbehaved with them. Besides, the prosecution also examined the school principal and another teacher from the school and the police officers who investigated the case, to bring home the guilt of the accused.

The defence contended that the allegations were vague, as specific dates and times of the incidents are not mentioned by the girls or other witnesses and the complaints were lodged belatedly.

The special court accepted the prosecution case and convicted the teacher for molesting the minor girl students.

It rejected the defence, observing that conviction in sexual offences can be based solely on the testimony of survivors. “The victims have described the acts of the accused touching them inappropriately on various occasions in detail,” said the court.

It also rejected the claim of delayed registration of the FIR against him saying, “Delay in lodging the FIR cannot be used as a ritualistic formula for doubting the prosecution case and discarding the same solely on the ground of delay in lodging the first information report.”