punjab

Updated: Feb 09, 2018 21:56 IST

The whistleblower in the case of alleged rape of a Class-11 student at a government school in Jagraon subdivision said on Friday that he may have risked his life. “They (accused) can harm me physically, even murder me, but I will hold no regret,” he said. “I am satisfied if, with my little effort, the victim gets justice.” (All names are being withheld, to protect victim’s identity.)

The teacher said he acted after he came across an audio clip on WhatsApp in December, of the accused teacher and the officiating principal of the school discussing ways to get the victim’s foetus aborted, as the 16-year-old had been impregnated in the rape in January last year. That abortion was eventually carried out, police have said; interrogation of the two accused men is ongoing.

“I was upset when I came to know that the audio clip was already with many teachers and nobody had taken up the matter,” he said, “My verbal complaints fell on deaf ears. I did not know who the victim was, but thinking about her ordeal gave me sleepless nights.” In January last week, he filed a written complaint to the state’s director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora, education secretary Krishan Kumar, director of public instructions (secondary) Paramjit Singh and district education officer (secondary) Swaranjit Kaur

It was after the case was registered and the two men were arrested that the whitleblower came to know who the victim is. “She was my student in Class 10, a shy girl and an average student. I will do anything for justice to her.” He taught at the village school for two years, and was transferred in June to another village. He said he was not on talking terms with the duo even when posted with them as “they don’t bear a good character anyway”.

On Wednesday, he appeared before deputy DEO Charanjit Singh for investigation. On Thursday, when the arrests were made, he handed over the audio clip to the police.

SUSPENDED

In the latest, another teacher is alleged to have helped the duo carry out the abortion. All three were on Friday suspended by the state education department. Headquarters for them has been fixed at the office of DEO (secondary), Moga.

DPI Paramjit Singh said education minister Aruna Chaudhary had instructed the secretary for school education, Krishan Kumar, to take “immediate and strong action with regard to the incident of moral turpitude”. The statement further read, “The probe in this regard would be completed soon so as to ensure exemplary punishment to the wrongdoers.”