Within two months , sexual harassment cases taking place in two of Kolkata’s premium schools, a third one shook the eastern metropolis on Friday as hundreds of angry guardians descended on the streets protesting repeated molestation of a Class II student of a reputed Christian missionary school.
The police arrested Soumen Rana who taught dance in the primary section of the Carmel convent school for persistently harassing the little girl even as furious parents gheraoed the school questioning lack of infrastructure and propriety of appointing male teachers in girls school.
The shameful incident had been taking place for the past several weeks, the little girl who had mysteriously fallen silent for the past few days told her relatives, sources said. Adding the victim had not reported the incident to her parents because the accused threatened her with dire consequences.
The accused teacher of the school situated near posh Deshapriya Park area had allegedly told that she would be thrown off the school terrace and then buried alive if she dared to alert her parents. The teacher was subsequently arrested.
“We have arrested the teacher and have booked him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act,” a senior police officer said adding the teacher would be produced in the court on Saturday.
Even as the police had a harrying time to contain the agitated parents, one of the guardians complained the school authorities initially downplayed the matter and called the police and suspended the accused only when the media was informed.
“There is no security arrangement inside the school. The CCTV cameras are installed only at the gates apparently to pinpoint parents taking part in such kind of protests and not inside the school premises to ensure security of the children,” guardians reported adding though there were construction works going inside the school the students and the labourers were made to use the same toilets.
The incident occurred barely a couple of months after girl students were sexually harassed at GD Birla School and MP Birla School.
Though the authorities initially remained stubbornly on the denial mode they gave in under public pressure removing the erring staff and the principal of one of those schools. Two teachers of GD Birla School were subsequently arrested following about a week-long protest.