Govt school teacher arrested under Pocso Act

The teacher from a Bol village in Karkal taluk of Udupi district has been arrested for sexually misbehaving with girl students and has been booked under Pocso Act.

A government high primary school teacher from a Bol village in Karkal taluk of Udupi district has been arrested for sexually misbehaving with girl students and has been booked under Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, Karkal police said on Monday.

The 58-year-old teacher was facing such allegations in the schools where he served before transferring to the Bol school. (AP)

Karkal rural police inspector DR Dilip said, “Based on the complaint registered by the victims, represented by the child welfare committee and women and child welfare department in Udupi, we arrested teacher Rajendra Aachar, who is also the priest of Isodi Mahalingeswar temple in the Bol village, on Saturday.”

“The teacher was produced before the Pocso special court on Sunday evening which remanded him to the judicial custody for 14-days. The accused teacher was residing in the Bol Vanjarkatti village after he was transferred to the school in 2023,” he added.

The police quoted the child welfare committee as saying that the 58-year-old teacher was facing such allegations in the schools where he served before transferring to the school in Bol village in Karkal taluk.

Despite warnings from villagers and the education department, he continued his position as teacher.

The children welfare unit in its complaint also stated that there are reports of the teacher involved in such acts from June 5, 2023 to April 23, 2024.

“There are many other female students who were assaulted sexually but didn’t come ahead to complain,” it pointed out.

Quoting the outcome of the children welfare unit, the Udupi district women and child development department minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar said that stringent action would be initiated against the accused.

She said, “The authorities are planning to dismiss employees who engage in such activities. Reports of sexual attacks are coming from many departments but mostly from schools where minor girls are being harassed.”

She pointed out that despite the vigilance squads visiting every school daily, many male teachers come alcoholic and misbehave with young girls.

The education department must execute the guidelines effectively to maintain the dignity of students, Lakshmi Hebbalkar added.