RAIPUR: A 47-year-old government teacher in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, who is credited with guiding his school to victories in kabaddi and kho-kho tournaments in School Games and other tournaments, has been arrested for molesting his students and demanding sexual favours from them for "making them shine in sports". It was 'guru dakshina', he would sneeringly tell the traumatized girls.
The accused is a mathematics teacher but also trains middle-school students in kabaddi and kho-kho. Police said he targets girls during coaching sessions.
Kotwali SHO Navin Borkar told TOI, "Five students of the schools and their parents have filed a complaint with police. The minor girls say that the teacher used to touch them inappropriately. When they protested, he would tell them that they should be obliged to him for helping them win gold medals in tournaments. We have taken the teacher into custody and booked him under Pocso charges." He was produced in court and remanded in jail.The complainants have told police that the teacher used to indulge in obscene talk face to face and over the phone. The long-continuing horror was revealed when a class 8 girl had to call the teacher from her home about an upcoming kho-kho tournament. During the call, her mother saw the child's face turning grim.
Her mother sensed what was happening and told the student to put the call on speaker. She was shocked to hear the obscene talk from the teacher. After the call ended, the mother sat her down, counselled her and asked her about the teacher's wrongdoings.
Then, she contacted several other students who had the same horrific stories to tell. They said the teacher would molest them and mockingly call it 'guru dakshina' when they protested.
The parents decided to approach police. The teacher's family came to know of this and stepped forward to defend him while also apologizing for his actions, but the girls and their parents remained firm on their decision to bring him to justice.
"We have suspended the teacher following the police complaint lodged against him by the affected children and parents," Balod district education officer Pravas Singh Baghel told TOI.
(The victims' identities have not been revealed to protect their privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
