Sexual harassment case: Evading arrest for 3 months, Majitha govt schoolteacher to be declared PO
PK Jaiswar
Amritsar, April 10
Rakesh Kumar, a government teacher who allegedly sexually harassed three minor girls of Government Elementary School in Majitha sub-division, will be declared a proclaimed offender (PO) soon.
Amritsar Rural SSP Satinder Singh told The Tribune today: “The police have initiated the proceedings for declaring Rakesh Kumar a PO as he has been evading arrest for past three months.”
Three minor girl students had accused him of sexual harassment. After the police registered an FIR against him on January 3, Kumar, a resident of Majitha, was immediately placed under suspension by the Punjab Government.
The victims were aged 8, 9 and 10 years. The incident occurred before the winter vacations last year. However, it came to light when one of the victims refused to go to school as she was frightened. She also named the other two students who had faced harassment. The families then decided not to send their wards to school.
A case under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354-A (sexual harassment) of the IPC and Sections 10, 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was registered against him on the complaint of a victim’s mother.
While placing him under suspension, the Education Department had also asked then DEO (Elementary) Rajesh Sharma to conduct a probe into the allegations against him.
The DEO (Elementary) said he was recently shifted to Amritsar from Pathankot and was unaware of the current status of the case. “I can only comment on the issue after verifying the details from the office,” he pointed out.
Though the department asked the accused to report at the Tarn Taran headquarters during his suspension, he failed to join his duties there. Kumar was on probation and had joined services around one-and-a-half-years ago.
Lakhwinder Kumar, SHO Majitha police station, said the police carried out raids to arrest the accused but he went underground after the registration of FIR.
