Headmaster and teacher of Karnataka govt school suspended over sexual harassment case
Shivamogga: A 45-year-old teacher and the headmaster of a Government school in Karnataka's Shivamogga district have been suspended on charges of sexual harassment and dereliction of duty, respectively, officials said on Monday.
The teacher of the school at Soppinakeri village in Shikaripura taluk was accused of sexually harassing female students aged between nine and 12 for the past few months.
The headmaster did not take action against him despite the issue being brought to his attention, they said.
The matter came to the notice of the senior education department officials on December five following which a detailed probe into the allegations levelled against the teacher was taken up, officials said.
ALSO READ: Belagavi: Woman paraded naked, tied to electric pole after son elopes with girl
Shivamogga Deputy Director of Public Instructions C R Parameshwarappa told PTI that the inquiry was ordered based on the complaints received from the parents of the students and School Development and Management Committee members.
The male teacher and the headmaster were suspended on Friday based on the preliminary report submitted by the block education officer of Shikaripura.
The charge against the headmaster, who was not involved in the harassment of students, is that he never took action against the accused teacher nor did he report the matter to any of the higher authorities despite being in the know of the matter, officials said.
''The headmaster attempted to suppress the matter which is why he was also suspended in connection with the incident. A detailed investigation is underway'', Parameshwarappa added.
According to officials, the School Development and Management Committee members also approached a senior officer at the Shikaripura rural police station following which they registered a case under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act against the accused teacher on December 9.
The matter has also been intimated to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
As part of police investigation, the statements of the girl students have been recorded and medical examination of the victims done.
Further action will be taken based on the report of the CWC, the officials added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
