Part-time PE teacher held for molesting 11-year-old at Delhi govt school

NEW DELHI
A 45-year-old man, a physical training teacher, was arrested for allegedly sexually harassing an 11-year-old Class 7 girl student on the premises of a government school in Sultanpuri on Friday, police said.
The girl’s family and neighbours staged a protest against the school management for allegedly staying silent on the issue.
“He was taking classes voluntarily at the school as he was working with an NGO aligned with the school. He was not a permanent teacher,” deputy commissioner of police (outer) Jimmy Chiram said.
Upon learning about the incident, the girl’s parents reached the school and called the police around noon. They alleged that the girl’s class had a self-defence session with the teacher and after the class, all her classmates left when she was tying her shoelaces, when the incident took place, police said.
“Seeing her alone, the teacher took her behind the school building and touched her inappropriately. He also allegedly threatened her not to inform anyone,” a police officer said.
The girl immediately informed her aunt, who works as a helper at the school. The aunt informed the school principal and the girl’s parents.
Police said they registered a case under sections 74 (criminal assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the BNS and Section 10 of the POCSO Act, and arrested the accused.
The girl was taken for a medical examination and counselled, police said.
The girl’s family alleged that the school wanted to hush up the matter. “The school principal was informed right after the incident, but he didn’t take any action. We had to call the police ourselves. We have been told by other students that other teachers were informed about it but they did not act on it,” a relative said.
The Delhi government said it has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the matter and will take the most stringent action based on the findings.