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Fri, 7th Mar 2008  Following accusations levelled by a Std VII student of the King George School in Bhandup (East) that one of her male teachers had been repeatedly molesting her since February 7, the teacher, Avinash Salvi (35), was on Friday arrested and charged with molestation and criminal intimidation .
Before Salvi's arrest, a mob of around 150 people, including parents and local political activists, stormed the office of the school principal, blackened his face and assaulted him before dragging him to the Kanjur Marg police station.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Prakash Vani said: "We arrested Avinash on Friday afternoon and produced him before the magistrate's court where he was remanded in three days' police custody. We are conducting further investigations on whether he had molested other students too. He has been charged under Sections 354 (molestation), Section 377 (unnatural offence) and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code."
According to principal Pandrinath Salve (52), a mob of parents had gathered at the school at around 7:30. "Initially, I did not suspect anything. But when I entered my cabin, the mob followed me inside and started assaulting me and beating me up, without any provocation. Some of my staff members and some female teachers tried to intervene, but even they were assaulted," he said. "Had the parents any complaints against the conduct of any teacher, they should have approached me instead of taking the law in their own hands," he said.
Shaunak Satpute, the chairman of the school and a High Court advocate, said: " As of now, we have suspended Avinash pending an inquiry by the school authorities. If found guilty, he shall be dismissed."
Meanwhile, Avinash had been arrested only on Thursday night by the Ram Nagar police in Dombivali for "creating nuisance" under the influence of alcohol. Senior Police Inspector Prakash Kavde of the Ram Nagar police station said: "Our officers conducting bandobast duty came across him at the Baji Prabhu Chowk around 1.30 am, where he was behaving in a very unruly manner as he was drunk. He also got into an altercation with some of our officers." The teacher had been directed to appear in court, but did not do so.  |
