Teacher ‘molests’ 12-year-old, held

Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, April 21

The police have arrested a teacher, Vinod Kumar (45), for allegedly molesting a minor student in the school falling under Hatli police station in the district. 

The accused has been remanded in three-day police custody. As per the police, on Saturday, when the 12-year-old victim was alone in her class, Kumar allegedly touched her inappropriately.

Despite resistance, the accused did not stop. Hearing the girl’s cries for help, locals rushed to the spot, forcing the accused to flee. The locals nabbed Kumar after chasing him for 6 km and handed him over to the police.

Confirming the incident, Mandi Superintendent of Police Gurdev Chand Sharma said the accused had been arrested under Sections 354A (IPC) and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was today produced before court, which sent him to three-day police custody for further interrogation. 

In the past one year, a total of 48 rape cases have been reported in the district. As many as 43 cases have been registered under the POCSO Act.