SHILLONG: An alleged rape of a student by her teacher after blackmailing her with a video, was reported in an FIR lodged with the Sohiong police outpost on Saturday.
The FIR follows the sensational cases in the past two months involving the rape and trafficking of a 14-year-old girl, the subsequent arrest of legislator Julius Dorphang, the Raj Bhavan scandal and the complaint of a peon against the director of soil and water conservation.
As per the FIR lodged by CSWO and TUR on behalf of the victim, one Konesshon Rodbom, a teacher at Tlong Umiam Secondary School at Weilyngkut in Sohiong, has been, since last year before the SSLS Selection exams, stalking, molesting and taking videos of himself forcibly kissing, hugging and molesting a student of Class X, who was then 17 years of age, on the school premises.
After the FIR was sent to Sohiong outpost through Sadar police station, a case was registered at Laban police station on Saturday evening as Sohiong falls under its jurisdiction.
Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh represents Sohiong constituency.
The FIR said the teacher has been using the video he took of the victim, to intimidate, blackmail and threaten her into allowing him to have sex with her.
He showed the video to a classmate of the victim and caused the victim to faint out of fear and he even blackmailed her by using his authority as a teacher, the FIR said.
According to the FIR, on January 20 as she went to the school for her test, the teacher threatened the girl that he would provide the video to the head of the school and the people of the village if she did not have sex with him.
“Out of fear she relented and he raped her in the room of Sir Chaudhury on the school premises on January 20 around noon. After this act, he gave her his mobile and said now you can delete the videos,” the FIR said.
As per the FIR, he has been stalking around six other students and may have even managed to molest them and this needs investigation.
“We have also been informed that prior to stalking and raping the victim, another 17-year-old girl, a student of Class IX of the same school, was also similarly stalked and intimidated by the teacher on several occasions,” the FIR said.
Moreover, the teacher had asked her to kiss him and demanded sexual favours, which amount to attempt to rape, since July 2016 with a threat that if she refused, he would ensure that she did not get through her examinations, which he did, as she did not comply to his demands.
According to the FIR, the delay in informing the authorities of law was because the victims were scared of his intimidation and potential expenses that may be involved in filing an FIR and the case that follows.
“In the interest of justice for these children and society at large we file this FIR and urge you to speedily investigate and bring the culprit to book using the strongest possible sections under POCSO Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, for the crimes of rape, attempt to rape, stalking, voyeurism, use of his position of power and authority, threat and intimidation, among others,” the FIR filed by the pressure groups said.
They also urged the police t o book anyone who may obstruct the course of investigation and arrest of Rodborn as per provisions of law.
