For molesting and then threatening a school girl, the District and Session Judge Vivek B Sharma sentenced primary school teacher Jogeshwar Prasad Devrani to five years imprisonment and Rs 1,000 fine under section 9(f) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 , one month imprisonment each and Rs 500 fine each under Section 323 and 342 of Indian Penal Code and two months imprisonment under Section 504 of IPC. The sentences will run concurrent.
Pleading the case for the prosecution, the District Government Councillor (Criminal) KP Dangwal said that the primary school teacher working at a primary school in Pauri district, JP Devrani asked the victim student to come to his room after the end of classes on July 5, 2013. He closed the room after the student came in and began molesting her. However, the girl cried out and hearing her, other students and the younger sister of the victim also raised the alarm. Due to the noise, the teacher desisted and threatened the victim to keep silent about the incident after which she left the room. The two sisters reached home and narrated the incident to their mother. The victim’s mother lodged a report with the revenue police against the accused on July 6, 2013.
The investigating officer had registered the statement of the victim under Section 164 of CrPC and after getting the medical examination of the victim conducted, produced the charge sheet under Sections 323, 504, 506, 342 Indian Penal Code and under section 9(f)/10 of POCSO Act. The prosecution produced eight witnesses at the hearing. After hearing both the prosecution and defense, the court found the primary school teacher guilty of committing crime under Sections 323,504, 342 of Indian Penal Code and section 9(f)/10 POCSO Act.