HC rejects molester teacher’s pre-arrest bail

SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has rejected the pre-arrest bail application of a teacher accused of stalking, molesting and taking videos of himself forcibly kissing and hugging two students on the school premises.
The petitioner – Konasson Rodborne, a teacher at Tlong Umiam Secondary School at Weilyngkut in Sohiong – contended through his lawyer that the FIR in question was not filed by the victims or their relatives but by others who have no   connection with the victims and who have no personal knowledge of any of the facts sought to be alleged.
Terming the allegations as baseless, the petitioner also said that he has five children and is the only breadwinner of the family and that he and his family would suffer irreparable injury if he is arrested.
Earlier, a lookout notice was issued by the police against Rodborne.
During the hearing in the High Court on Thursday, the public prosecutor placed the case diary before the court and opposed the prayer for grant of pre-arrest bail to the petitioner.
The Special Judge, POCSO, Shillong, had, on March 1, declined the pre-arrest bail prayer by Rodborne.
The public prosecutor also submitted that after recording the statements of the victims under Section 161 of the CrPC and their medical examination, prayer was made for recording their statements under Section 164 of the CrPC. But it could not be recorded on the given dates (March 6 and 7) because the victims were appearing for matriculation examination. The magistrate has rescheduled the matter for March 28 and 29.
The court also observed that it was “definitely required that the investigating agency get the statements of the victims recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC at the earliest”. It also said the investigators, the POCSO special judge and the magistrate concerned should have shown a sense of urgency in recording the statements”.
The public prosecutor assured that the magistrate would be requested to record the statements of the victims, whose Matriculation examinations are said to be over.