Kolkata: Teacher held for molesting Class 2 student

Kolkata: After G.D. Birla Centre for Education and M.P. Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School, a teacher of a private English-medium school, Carmel Primary School, in south Kolkata was arrested on Friday after a Class 2 student alleged that he had sexually abused her.

Furious over the incident, parents of students on Friday morning gathered outside the school on Deshapriya Park Road and held angry protest, demanding suspension and punishment for the accused..

Accused dance teacher Soumen Rana has been molesting the minor girl for the past one month on the pretext of imparting dance lessons to her. Stumped by the massive protest the school authorities told them that action would be taken against him.

They also informed the police. The cops came from the Tollygunge police station rushed to the school to pacify the angry guardians.

Some of them went inside to take the accused in custody. However a scuffle took place between the two sides soon. When Soumen was being taken out, angry guardians fought with the cops to snatch him away. Venting their anger they also kicked and punched Soumen. The tug-of-war between the guardians and the police over him took place on the road.

Anup Kumar Ghosh, officer in-charge of the Tollygunge police station received injuries on head in the fight. Some of the guardians claimed that they were lathicharged by the cops. The police somehow managed to take away Soumen from the spot. Later the accused teacher was arrested by the Tollygunge police after the victim’s mother lodged a complaint.

Joint commissioner of police (crime) Praveen Kumar Tripathy said, “A case has been initiated under section 10 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.” Soumen however denied his role during interrogation, according to the police. The victim was taken for a medical test.

Many guardians questioned why a male teacher was appointed in a girls’ school. They even pointed out that the school was not covered by CCTV network. Reacting to the incident education minister Partha Chatterjee said, “Ensuring security is the responsibility of the school authorities. It is not suitable for the police to look after the security at a place which is for the girls. The guidelines were prepared many times. If it is not followed, my department and our government will look into it certainly.”

Later a team from West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights met the senior police officials.

Its member Soumitra, a Bengali folk singer, said, “The police listened to the minor’s allegations properly.” Sudeshna Roy, another team member, said, “The kid and her parents have been traumatised. But the police acted quickly.”