BERHAMPUR: Rayagada Sadar police on Wednesday detained a 59-year-old schoolteacher on the charge of sexually abusing girl students. The accused, Manoranjan Nayak, is alleged to have molested at least nine students. Nayak is an assistant teacher at Indira Nagar Upper Primary School in Rayagada town.
Sources said the teacher reportedly molested a Class II student in the school on Tuesday afternoon. After returning home, the student narrated her ordeal to her parents. On Wednesday, parents of the minor and some locals went to the school and thrashed Nayak. On being informed, police reached the school and took the accused teacher into custody.
Subsequently, a meeting between the school management committee and parents was convened to discuss the matter. Following the meet, the headmistress of the school Pramila Pradhan lodged a complaint against the accused teacher. Based on the complaint, Nayak was detained in the police station.
Sources said eight other girls also levelled similar allegations against the teacher. Nayak allegedly used to sexually harass the students in a classroom during lunch break. He even threatened to issue transfer certificates to the girls if they disclosed the matter to their parents. Though Nayak initially refuted the allegations, he later apologised to the parents of the students.
The headmistress said she had not received any such allegation from the students earlier. “After being informed about the allegations against the teacher, a complaint was filed in the local police station. Now, police will investigate the matter and take appropriate action,” she added.
Sub-inspector of Rayagada Sadar police station Sandhya Tirki said the accused is being interrogated and further investigation is underway. “Police are verifying the allegations against the teacher and he will be arrested soon,” Tirki added. Notably, accused Nayak is set to retire from service next year.