india

Updated: Dec 05, 2018 12:49 IST

A 50-year-old primary school teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting his nine-year-old student on the pretext of extra classes on Tuesday in Bhimtal town of Uttarakhand’s Nainital district, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, the incident happened in a government primary school in a village near the famous tourist destination of Bhimtal, 20km away from Nainital.

“The accused have been identified as one Ravi Choudhary. He was teaching in the school since the last two years. He had been molesting the victim girl since the last few months but the incident came to light only when her parents confronted him in school on Tuesday,” JS Sandhu, senior sub-inspector at Bhimtal police station, said.

Sandhu said when the parents and the victim questioned Choudhary, he tried to settle the matter but they refused.

“After receiving the information about the incident, police soon reached the spot and arrested Choudhary after the victim and her family members narrated the ordeal,” said Sandhu.

“In the initial investigations, it was found that he was molesting at least two girls, including the victim and another girl on the pretext of extra classes in the school,” Sandhu said.

He said police have found that two other students saw him committing the crime. The girl who came forward on Tuesday also said the teacher used to take photographs of the act with his mobile phone and threaten them against informing their family members, he added.

“However, no such photographs were found from his mobile phone on checking it. The other victim girl has not come forward and a case against him was registered on the complaint of the lone girl who came forward,” Sandhu said.

Sources said the girl had complained to the school’s headmaster regarding the teacher but she didn’t take any action.

“We came to know about the incident only on Tuesday and are not aware of the fact that all this while the incident was in the knowledge of the headmaster who kept mum,” district education officer (elementary education) Gopal Swaroop said.

“If she was aware of the teacher’s actions, she could have at least informed us but she didn’t. An investigation would be conducted against her also and stern action would be taken against her if found guilty,” he said.

Police also found during their investigations that Choudhary had molested some girls in another government primary school where he taught earlier.

“He had molested some girls there also but had managed to settle the matter without any police complaint against him. He was then transferred to this school two years ago but started committing the same crime here also. Investigations are on,” said Sandhu.