Government School Teacher sent to Jail for Sexually Harassing Student in New Delhi

New Delhi, October 26, 2016: A teacher of a government school has been sent to jail for a period of six months after harassing a student sexually during an examination in New Delhi.

The six-month jail term given by a magisterial court was observed as "very less sentence" awarded for the heinous crime.

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According to PTI, additional Sessions Judge Lokesh Kumar Sharma said, "…despite the magistrate's observations that the cases of sexual assault were on steep rise … and the offenders of such crimes were not entitled to any sympathy …., the magistrate had awarded him a very less sentence in the opinion of this court."

"However, by indulging in such immoral activities, the man had given a bad name not only to the teaching institutions but also to the whole teaching community. Hence, I do not find any infirmity in the sentence awarded to him by the magistrate and the same is also upheld accordingly," said the judge.

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The court further added, "One must not forget here itself that the appellant is associated with a noble profession of teaching and the teacher in our society is considered and regarded equivalent to God as he is the one who either makes or breaks the career of the student and a person in such a noble job/profession is expected by the society to maintain a high degree of morals, ethics, and values. Not only is this, but also, a teacher considered as the guardian of the child as long as the child remains in his custody at school."

The incident took place when the teacher was invigilating at a government school called South Delhi's Chirag Enclave in April 2013 and the student was taking History examination, according to what the prosecution said.

The teacher allegedly made some unwelcoming physical contact which includes explicit sexual overtures.

The man was convicted of sexually harassing the student and sentenced to the six-month term in jail with a fine of 5,000 rupees.

According to PTI reports, "He challenged the magisterial court's order before the sessions court saying the case was a bundle of falsehood and the allegations were made because the teacher had stopped the girl from cheating."

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The court, however, has rejected the argument claiming that no girl would give such allegations just to take revenge from a teacher who was simply performing his official duties, and especially when the student knows that she needs to appear in the same centre for the remaining examinations.

– Prepared by NewsGram team with PTI inputs