Institute operator arrested for sexually exploiting visually challenged girl in Uttarakhand
Haldwani (PTI): A man who runs an institute has been arrested and sent to jail for allegedly sexually exploiting a visually challenged girl in Uttarakhand's Haldwani, police said.
Police said 60-year-old Shyam Dhanak was arrested from his residence in Damuwadhunga on Friday evening.
Some minor girls living in the institute had somehow managed to file their complaint against Dhanak to the senior superintendent of police, Nainital. Dhanak was arrested after the allegations were found to be true, police said.
Dhanak was running an institute of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) for visually challenged and deaf-mute children for a long time.
According to police, investigation revealed he had asked the girls not to tell anyone about this. Police sources said when the girls protested against the alleged sexual exploitation, they were beaten up and not given food.
Police sources further revealed that since the girls did not have any mobile phone or any other means of communication, they somehow managed to get a letter sent to the police through a person in July.
According to sources, police investigated the matter for one-and-a-half month. They said a case has been registered against Dhanak under sections 376, 504, 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
At present, 113 students are studying in the NAB.
According to police, other children of the institute are also being interrogated and their statements are being recorded. Police recorded the minor's statement under section 164 after conducting the medical examination.
Police said Dhanak was produced before the POCSO court on Saturday, which sent him to jail.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
