KOLKATA: Angry parents demanding the arrest of a male teacher, clashed with police here on Tuesday over the alleged sexual abuse of a six-year-old student of a Kolkata school.
Parents began agitating outside the school premises soon after the victim’s parents claimed that their daughter was sexually abused by a teacher on September 26. However, all hell broke loose after the agitators saw a few teachers leaving the school premises.
Police claimed that the agitating parents vandalised school property and pelted stones on the teachers and policemen after which police baton-charged the crowd, leading to several injuries.
However, later, the accused teacher was arrested and booked under Section 354 (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and several sections of POCSO Act.
"We have arrested the person accused of sexually abusing a minor girl. An investigation into the incident has been initiated," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast division) Kalyan Mukherjee said.
On the other hand, police alleged that outsiders, who were not parents of the school students, had also joined the protests and tried to kidnap the accused teacher. Police have arrested four such people.
Meanwhile, the state government has sought a detailed report on the case and the incident from Kolkata Police.
Tensions continued to simmer around the school premises even after the arrest of the teacher.
A section of the teachers held a meeting with Kolkata district primary school council chairman Kartik Manna. "I have informed Education Minister Partha Chatterjee of the incident. The accused teacher will not take classes until the investigation is completed. If he is found guilty, strict action will be taken against him," he said.
West Bengal Committee for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborty said, "We are keeping an eye on the incident. If he is guilty, we will take appropriate action."
Massive parent protests had erupted after a four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by her teachers in a prominent Kolkata school in November last year. Soon after the incident, another nursery student was allegedly sexually assaulted by two employees of another reputed Kolkata school in December last year.