VISAKHAPATNAM: Taking serious view of the alleged sexual harassment of girl students by teachers at Kothapalem Upper Primary School in Yelamanchili mandal of Visakhapatnam district, the Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (AP-SCPCR) took up a suo moto case and directed the district administration to submit a detailed report by Aug 25.
The commission, headed by resident member S Balaraju, asked the district police to register a case against the accused teachers under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and arrest them. The case has been posted for Aug 25.
Three government teachers, including a woman teacher of Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School (MPUP) at Kothapalem, were suspended from their duties on Saturday, for alleged sexual harassment of girl students and woman teachers of the school. The villagers also have imposed social boycott against the three teachers and complained to the district education officials in this regard.
In the orders issued Sunday, the AP-SCPCR observed that the school has a history of such sexual harassments, which have occurred before the issue was made public. The commission expressed its shock over the school authorities keeping hidden such blatant child rights violation. It wanted the authorities concerned to inform it of the progress of the investigation to take the case to a logical conclusion and ensure that such incidents are not repeated.