6-yr-old girl molested by teacher in school
Kolkata, Oct 9: A six-year-old student of a government-run school was allegedly molested by a teacher in its premises last month, following which the accused was arrested, police said Tuesday.
Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said the state government has sought a report from the school about the alleged molestation and the damage to school property by agitating guardians.
The police had a tough time controlling the victim's family members who tried to force their way into the school, located in the southern part of the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast division) Kalyan Mukherjee said.
According to the DCP, 10 police personnel, including two officers in-charge of Gariahat and Lake police stations were injured in brickbatting by the protesters.
The police had to use batons to disperse the agitators and three people were arrested for attacking the personnel of the force and destroying public properties, he said.
Asked about the lathicharge on the protesters, Mukherjee said the police took the step to save themselves and public properties.
The accused, he said, was arrested and booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and a probe was initiated against him.
The school authorities were not available for comments.
Chatterjee, the state education minister, said the department will also find out the circumstances behind the incident in its own probe and strictest action will be taken against the teacher if the charges against him were proved.
He also condemned the damage of school property by a section of guardians and said steps would be taken if outsiders were found to be involved in the ransacking.
Ananya Chakraborti, chairperson of the West Bengal Child Rights Commission, said the police investigation would be closely monitored.
"We will follow-up the investigations conducted by the police. We will also see whether the police are carrying out proper investigation or not," Chakraborti said.
When contacted, chairman of the Sarva Shiksha Mission Kartik Manna said, the state government and the education minister would take a decision on the victim's parents' demand for employing only women teachers in the school.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
