Sexual harassment case: School principal, teacher absolved

A principal and a music teacher of a government school have been acquitted in a sexual harassment case by a Delhi court after the five students resiled from their statements and denied being sexually assaulted.

The court absolved the male teacher of the charges of sexually assaulting the girls, aged around 15 years, or making unwelcome advances or sexual overtures towards them.

It also acquitted the woman principal of the school in north Delhi of the charge that despite being the in-charge of the institution, she failed to report the acts of the accused teacher.

“The nutshell of foregoing discussion is that from the testimony of the victims as well as other material witnesses examined by it, the prosecution has miserably failed to prove that accused (teacher) committed sexual assault on the victims or accused no. 2 (principal) failed to report the matter against him when it was reported to her by the victims,” Additional Sessions Judge Gautam Manan said.

The judge noted that the five girls did not support the prosecution case before it and they denied the suggestions that their music teacher sexually assaulted them or advanced towards them involving un-welcome or sexual overtures.

“They all resiled from the allegations made against the principal of failing to take action on the complaint of one victim. Parents of other victims also failed to substantiate the allegations made against the accused persons.

“Prosecution witness 10, who is a school teacher, also did not support the allegations of indecent remarks or sexual assault on the victims by accused teacher,” the court said.

It added that the accused persons cannot be held to be guilty of committing offence of charges framed against them.

According to the prosecution, an FIR was registered on a complaint of a minor, a class VIII student, alleging that in April 2014, when she was not well, the music teacher called her and four other girls in the music room.

He sent all other girls back to their class and asked these five minors to stay, it said, adding that he uttered some indecent words to them and made them sit there for long.

Later on, a woman teacher enquired from the girls if the music teacher behaved indecently with them and the students replied in affirmative, police said, adding that he also used to touch them inappropriately.

The victims informed the principal about the music teacher’s acts but she did not take any action or report the matter further and asked the girls not disclose it to their parents or anyone else.

The next day, parents of several students discussed the matter with the principal but she allegedly the victims after which a complaint was lodged with the police against the principal and the teacher.

Source: business-standard