The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Union HRD Ministry Secretary to pay compensation of Rs one lakh each to the 13 students of the Nayagarh-based Navodaya Vidyalaya, who were subjected to sexual exploitations by one of their school teachers.
The NHRC had earlier directed the Odisha Government to pay the damage to the students.But when the NHRC was informed that the school was running by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Committee under the Union HRD Ministry, the NHRC modified the order this week, informed human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das.Das, who had approached the NHRC seeking compensation to the sexually exploited students, also informed that the Union HRD Secretary has been directed to send a proof of the payments to the NHRC within eight weeks.
Das had told the NHRC that a computer teacher of the school, who also happens to be the hostel warden, was visiting adult websites in his computer in the hostel and was insisting the inmates of the hostel to watch the same with him.The teacher was also engaged in unnatural sexual activities with the students and the matter was brought to the notice of the school principal, who after an internal enquiry found the allegations to be true.
After a police complaint was made, the teacher was arrested and subsequently the concerned teacher and four of his colleagues, who tried to protect the accused teacher, were also suspended.