23 arrested for stone-pelting, attacking police in Jahangirpuri
The 38-year-old music teacher of Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in A-block Jahangirpuri in North-West Delhi was arrested on Tuesday on the charges of molesting five girls of the school.The accused, identified as Vijay Kumar, was arrested in the afternoon after the victims’ parents and locals staged a violent protest outside the school. A case under Section 354 of the IPC (molestation) and Sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) has been registered against the teacher at Mahindra Park police station.
As protest turned ugly with protesters pelting stones, a police constable was injured while two Government vehicles damaged, police said. Around 23 protesters, including five women, were arrested and an FIR was lodged against them for obstructing Government servants from performing their duties and damaging public property.
According to the complaints received by the police, the music teacher had allegedly molested the girls while taking their class on Monday. The petrified girls went home and narrated their tales of horror to their parents who reached the school in the morning to meet the school principal. They demanded immediate action against the music teacher and also insisted on meeting him.“The parents claim that instead of cooperating with them, the school principal threatened them to call police and asked them to leave the premises,” the official said. Principal’s attitude flared up the atmosphere and soon the agitated parents were joined by locals in violent protest, the official added.
“Around 11 am, the parents started protest outside the school shouting slogans against the school administration. They were soon joined by locals and gradually the protest turned violent as they started pelting stones on the school building. They tried to damage the school property and when police reached the spot, they clashed with police as well damaging two government vehicles. One constable sustained injuries after he was hit by a stone,” the police official added.
A wireless message was relayed to senior police officials who rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control after additional force was deployed in the area. Police also had to shut down the market surrounding the school as a precautionary measure.
The Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, where the incident took place, operates in two shifts. The morning shift is held from 7 am to 1 pm is for girls, and second shift between 1 pm and 6 pm for boys.