On Wednesday (21st August), Police said that they had arrested a government school teacher in Maharashtra’s Akola district on charges of sexual abuse of six minor female students and showing them pornographic context for months. The accused teacher has been identified as 47-year-old Pramod Sardar. He was working at a Zilla Parishad school at Kazikhed and was taken into custody on Tuesday.
The incident came to light after the minor students complained to their parents about the accused teacher. As per reports, one of the Class 8 students called the toll-free helpline of the Child Welfare Centre and informed the officials about the incident.
On Tuesday morning, the officials of the Child Welfare Committee visited the school. However, to not reveal the purpose of their visit beforehand, they held an hour-long session at the school. After this, they told the principal that they wanted to speak to Class 8th girls individually. During this interaction, the girls opened up about the trauma that they had been enduring for the last four months.
The CWC members then called the Police who took the accused teacher into their custody and filed an FIR against the accused. A former member of the State Women’s Commission, Asha Mirge demanded strict action against the teacher.
As per the Police, the accused teacher, Pramod Sardar, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).
Reacting to the incident, the Principal of the school, Ravindra Samdur said, “There was a programme at the school yesterday… After the programme was over the teacher went to meet the students of Class 7-8. Some 4-5 girls said they were harassed, then we came to know about this, until then we were not aware of any such thing .”
#WATCH | Maharashtra | On the arrest of a teacher for the alleged harassment of students in Akola, the Principal of the school, Ravindra Samdur says, "There was a program in the school yesterday…After the program was over the teacher went to meet the students of class 7-8. Some… pic.twitter.com/w1dHelabg3
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024
As per the case details, the accused teacher had been showing porn videos to the girl students for the past four months and touching them inappropriately. The FIR has been registered at the Ural Police Station. According to the details mentioned in the FIR, six minor female students complained that the teacher had been showing them obscene videos for the past four months.
Statement of the Police
The Police inspector of the Ural police station, Gopal Dhole said, “We got a call from a CWC member and dispatched a police team to the school and recorded statements of the juvenile girls. The teacher Pramod Sardar would show them obscene photos and touch them inappropriately. We have taken the accused into custody and booked him under the BNS and POCSO Acts.”
Superintendent of Police (SP) Bachchan Singh confirmed the arrest and the charges against the accused teacher, Pramod Sardar. He said, “We received a complaint regarding the molestation of six schoolgirls by their teacher, Pramod Manohar Sardar. He was immediately arrested, and the statements of the victimized girls have been recorded.”
Maharashtra | Akola Police received a complaint of molestation of 6 school girls by Pramod Manohar Sardar, a teacher of the Zilla Parishad School in Kajikhed. Police immediately arrested the accused teacher and recorded the statements of the victim girls. Cases under sections 74… pic.twitter.com/SaQRKsGJ8w
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2024
Meanwhile, the Police added that further investigation was underway in this matter.
The incident comes just days after two toddler girls, aged 4, studying in Nursery, were sexually assaulted by a school sweeper at an English medium school in Thane. It has sparked massive outrage in Maharashtra and across the nation. The residents blocked the Mumbai rail route at Badlapur railway station, bringing train services to a standstill on Tuesday to demand strict action against the accused.
Meanwhile, national outrage and protests have continued over the horrific rape and murder case of the 31-year-old trainee female doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital that took place on 9th August.
