Teacher molests schoolgirl in Chamba’s Salooni, suspended

A government primary school teacher in Salooni subdivision of Chamba district, who was accused of showing obscene content on his mobile phone to a girl student and molesting her, has been suspended. The incident reportedly occurred on October 14 and came to light after the victim informed her mother, leading to an uproar in the school.

According to sources, the girl told her mother that the teacher, identified as Ramesh Kumar, showed her objectionable material on his mobile phone and also molested her. The mother confronted the teacher at the school when the members of the management committee were also present. The teacher reportedly wrote an apology and the matter was hushed up.

However, an uproar erupted after the issue was highlighted on social media, prompting the authorities to take swift action. Kapil Sharma, Childline Coordinator, Chamba, said, “As soon as the incident went viral on social media, we took cognizance of it and informed the Education Department. Our team visited the school to conduct an independent inquiry.”

The Education Department initiated an inquiry. A team led by the Block Education Officer, Sundla, visited the school on Thursday and recorded the statements of the teacher, the victim student and her parents. The investigation report was later submitted to the Office of Elementary Education, Chamba.

Balbir Singh, Deputy Director of Elementary Education, Chamba, said that based on the findings of the inquiry team, the accused teacher had been suspended.

The case has sparked concern among parents and the local community, who have demanded a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident to ensure justice for the student and strict action against the accused, if found guilty. Meanwhile, a police probe into the matter is also underway.