Teacher booked for sexual assault on four-year-old

Vijay Singh

The parents of a four-and-half-year-old girl have lodged a complaint against a 27-year-old teacher working at a playschool in Nerul, accusing him of sexually assaulting their daughter.

The parents, in their complaint, have also accused the playschool principal of threatening them against approaching the police and lodging a case.

The police said that an FIR was lodged on Saturday under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. The crime took place at the playschool on February 23 when the teacher allegedly touched the girl inappropriately. The victim later told her parents about the incident.

The minor’s father said, “On learning about the sexual assault, we immediately contacted the principal. However, instead of informing the police, he threatened us with a defamation suit if we went ahead and lodged an FIR against the teacher.”

A medical examination of the girl at a civic hospital had shown some injuries to her private parts, said the father. The police said that the accused teacher had been booked under sections 4, 8 and 10 of the POCSO Act. He has not yet been arrested, as soon after the incident, he left for his hometown in Bihar. The police are trying to trace him.

The playschool could not be contacted for comments as it was closed on Sunday.

“I had accompanied the girl’s parents to the police station. The management of the playschool is also to be blamed for not informing the police immediately,” said lawyer and activist Siddh Vidya.

Another activist from Nerul, Anarjit Chauhan, said, “There were no CCTV cameras installed inside the playschool. CCTV cameras must be installed in playschools and primary classes so that culprits in such cases can be booked.”

Source: indiatimes