Una rape case: Principal held for failing to report matter

Rajesh Sharma

Una, June 26

The police on Wednesday arrested the principal of Government Senior Secondary School in Amb subdivision, where a girl was raped by a computer teacher on June 22.

SP Devakar Sharma said the principal had been booked under Section 21 of the POCSO Act for not reporting the incident to them even after he had come to know about it.

The 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted inside a school toilet. It was a bag-free day and all students were in the playground at 11 am when the incident occurred. The CCTV footage of the camera covering the toilet door, too, could not be procured due to some technical snag and it was only the principal who could monitor the cameras.

According to information, the principal was trying to contact the computer teacher for some official work at the time of the incident. Since he was unable to contact him, the principal told a Sanskrit teacher to look for him.

The Sanskrit teacher later came to know that the computer teacher was in the toilet meant for disabled persons. The toilet was, however, bolted from inside. After the Sanskrit teacher knocked and banged the door, the computer teacher came out.

It is learnt that on seeing what the computer teacher was doing inside, he was slapped by his colleague.

The SP said in her statement made to the Magistrate, the victim stated that she had reported the matter to a staff member. The principal also came to know about the incident. The SP said as per Section 21 of the POCSO Act, the head of the institution was duty bound to inform the matter to the police, which he did not do. He, however, said the principal’s offence was bailable.

After the incident, residents have been demanding the transfer of the entire school staff. On June 24, they prevented the staff from entering the school. The department had to depute teachers from nearby schools for a day while yesterday was declared a non-teaching day.

Government schools were closed for monsoon vacation today, postponing the issue of transfer till August 2. The SP said the computer teacher, who was in judicial custody, was taken to the school today to sketch the crime scene.

The case

A 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted inside a school toilet by a computer teacher on June 22. It was a bag-free day and all students were in the playground at 11 am when the incident occurred.