A teacher working with a South Delhi Municipal Corporation school has been transferred following allegations that he sexually assaulted as many as 17 girls studying in Class V at the school.
The parents of the victims filed a written complaint against the teacher, Sunil Kumar, with Municipal Primary School, Jonapur, the SDMC and higher education authorities.
The SDMC, instead of taking strict disciplinary action against the teacher or lodging a police complaint in this connection, transferred the teacher to an all-boys school.
“We have transferred the teacher after we received a complaint of sexual assault against him. Simultaneously, an inquiry has been initiated. If the teacher is found guilty, he will be suspended and disciplinary action will be taken against him,” SDMC Commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel said.
The school authorities have not contacted the police even though Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act states that if a case of sexual assault against minors is reported to a school, the authorities should register a complaint with the police.
If they fail to do so, they can be punished with up to one-year imprisonment.
According to the parents’ complaint, Sunil Kumar has sexually assaulted several girls studying in Class V.
“For the last several days, Sunil Kumar had been assigning difficult homework to the girls. When they went to school with mistakes in their assignments, he used to first beat them up with sticks and then sexually assault them. He used to touch them on their private parts,” the complaint read.
The complaint also added that this had been going on for a long time and the girls were scared to tell anyone. Recently, one of the girls narrated the ordeal to her parents who inquired with other parents and together they lodged a complaint with the school authorities.
On April 22, the parents filed a complaint with the Deputy Director of Education and sent a copy to the SDMC.
Social Jurist, an organisation providing legal aid, is now helping the parents of the girls in lodging a police complaint.
Khagesh Jha from Social Jurist told The Hindu : “We are going to take the complaint to the police station concerned and get a case registered in this connection.”
Based on complaint from parents, SDMC transferred teacher without taking strict disciplinary action
