Another disturbing case has emerged from the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Six students from a government school have accused their Hindi teacher of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching. The victims, studying between classes 6 and 9, lodged a police complaint on Wednesday.
According to news agency reports, Sirmaur SP Nishchint Singh Negi stated that after receiving the complaint, a police team visited the school to record the statements of the students. Subsequently, a case was filed under relevant sections including the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
SP Negi mentioned that the accused teacher absconded from the school before the police arrived. Teams have been deployed to various locations in search of him. He declared the incident as "a very serious matter," promising strict legal action against the culprit.
This marks the second incident of student harassment in Sirmaur district within a week. Previously, on Friday, 24 students from another school accused a mathematics teacher of harassment. The teacher in that incident was arrested and suspended.
District President of the All India Democratic Women's Association, Santosh Kapoor, expressed deep concern over this case, highlighting that it is the fourth such incident in recent months in Sirmaur. She noted that similar incidents had occurred in Rajgarh and Paonta Sahib previously.
Santosh Kapoor called for the activation of an Internal Complaints Committee in all schools, under the supervision of higher authorities, to shield children from such heinous crimes.
