TURA: The District Sessions court here remanded the principal in-charge of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Yogesh Joshi, and teacher Deepjyoti Das, both accused of rape and sexual assault of two students, in five-day police custody on Friday evening.
Both Joshi and Das have been booked under the Indian Penal Code and also under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences), 2012. Three FIRs, one each by the victims and another by the Mothers’ Union, have so far been lodged against the two teachers who allegedly raped two Class XII students of the same school.
West Garo Hills DC Pravin Bakshi, who is currently away in Delhi, will file another FIR against the two accused.
Meanwhile, at least 51 parents whose children are studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tura, on Friday jointly filed a separate FIR against the commandant of the 120 CRPF Battalion, R.K Behara, who was the first to reach the school on Thursday afternoon, had reportedly tried to help Joshi escape when students were protesting on the camp.
The FIR against the CRPF officer mentioned that he was a close friend of the two accused and a frequent visitor to the school. There had been instances when students had been forced to massage his head, the FIR stated.
When news about the sexual exploitation of the two students spread on Thursday afternoon, the CRPF commandant had arrived on the scene in a white vehicle with the number plate covered in black tape. He allegedly made an attempt to get Joshi out of the school but failed after agitating students kept the main gate closed till police arrived.
On Thursday night, Tura police had a tough time controlling the protesters outside the police station where the two accused were kept behind bars. The protesters demanded that the two accused be handed over to them for “street justice”. The stand-off lasted close to an hour and a half and additional forces, including BSF personnel, had to be called in to disperse the mob.
NCPCR steps in
Yashwant Jain, a member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said on Friday he has taken up the KV rape case with the education ministry and sought immediate termination of the two accused. “I have spoken to the Tura police chief and instructed him to ensure a thorough investigation into the case. At the same time, I have already taken the matter up with higher authorities for termination of their services,” said Jain who had arrived in Garo Hills to participate in a seminar at Ampati when the Kendriya Vidyalaya incident unfolded.
“The commission has already directed the higher authorities, which run these schools across the country, to submit a report on the incident and take immediate steps to ensure safety of children,” he said.
Jain expressed concern over the rising cases of rape and sexual assault on children in Meghalaya, which is primarily a matrilineal society. “We have already started working with schools to teach children the difference between a good and a bad touch,” said Jain.
