After an agitation by the local residents over the alleged sexual harassment of minor female students at the Jawaharlal Darda Education Trust- run Yavatmal Public School turned violent, the Yavatmal Police on Monday arrested Kishor S Darda, a secretary of the educational institution, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A day after local citizens staged violent protests demanding the arrest of YPS chairperson and former MP Vijay Darda and Secretary Kishor Darda in several parts of Yavatmal town, the police took the secretary into custody from Nagpur. Kishore Darda was on Monday produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody for a day.
Two teachers of the school, Yash Borundia and Amol Kshirsagar, had been arrested on last Thursday, after a few parents lodged a complaint with the police alleging that their daughters were being sexually abused by them for months.
During the weekend, there were a series of violent protests in Yavatmal, with parents demanding action against all those responsible for the sad state of affairs in the school. On Saturday, Pincipal Jacob Das was arrested. Reports had said last week that the teachers had allegedly molested and sexually abused girls in kindergarten and primary classes. Following the reports, a case was registered against the members of the management committee under Section 21 (failure to report an offence against children) of POCSO Act.
During Sunday’s protests, the agitating citizens went berserk and indulged in violence and arson. The police resorted to lathi charge and tear gas shells, to quell the rioting mobs. The police also opened seven rounds of fire to disperse the violent protesters.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Mahila Congress President Charulata Tokas strongly condemned the molestation of minor girls allegedly perpetrated by the school authorities of Jawaharlal Darda Education Trust- run Yavatmal Public School.
Charulata also demanded that persons involved in such a heinous act should be dealt severely under the law. “The State Government should set up a fast-track to try those behind the misdeeds at the school,” she said.