Visually impaired student alleges sexual abuse

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 21

A 13-year-old visually impaired male student, belonging to Himachal and studying at a school under the National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH), has accused his music teacher of sexual abuse.

The father of the student has knocked at the doors of the state child rights commission that asked its member Sharda Tripathi to probe the matter.

In the complaint, the boy had alleged that his teacher tried to sodomise him while they were on a trip to Jaipur. “The teacher used to call me to his room and used to sodomise me,” said the student.

Such acts, if proven, invite action under the POCSO Act. “I have advised the father to lodge an FIR and then the case could be transferred to us for action,” said Tripathi.

She said during an interaction with some teachers, she was told that complaints about the accused had also been received in 2006-2007 also.

NIVH Director Anuradha Dalmia said the institute too had set up an inquiry in April the report of which had been submitted to the child rights panel.

The Director said the institute would soon issue a chargesheet to the teacher.

The child rights panel is also inquiring into another case of sexual exploitation lodged by the parents of some students of a prestigious girls school in Mussoorie. “They have complained that the students were sexually exploited by their seniors in the all-girls boarding school,” said Tripathi.

She said 10 days had been given to the school to present a report to the panel.