By Karmrath News Desk
Dehradun, India: A fast-track court in Dehradun has sentenced a teacher in his 40s to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for the rape of a 12-year-old student, Times of India reported. The assault took place within the hostel of a residential school located on the city's periphery. In addition to the prison term, Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajni Shukla imposed a fine of Rs 95,000 on the convict, after determining his guilt through a combination of the survivor’s testimony and corroborating medical evidence.
The legal proceedings followed an incident on July 16, 2021. According to Assistant District Government Counsel Kishor Kumar, the victim's mother was alerted the following day that her daughter was unwell. When she arrived at the school, the young girl disclosed that the teacher had taken her to his room and assaulted her. The victim further alleged that the teacher had threatened to kill both her and her mother if she ever revealed what had happened.
The case also brought the school's administration under scrutiny. The survivor testified that when she initially sought help from the female hostel warden, the warden allegedly supported the teacher and instructed the girl to comply with his demands. Furthermore, the girl claimed in court that the teacher had previously assaulted another student five years earlier with the warden's assistance.
Following the report, police arrested both the teacher and the warden, who is a resident of Meghalaya, under the IPC and the POCSO Act. However, while the teacher was found guilty, the court acquitted the warden of charges involving criminal conspiracy and the POCSO Act, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to link her to the crimes.