Silchar: Protests erupted on Thursday after a private senior secondary school principal in Cachar district was arrested for allegedly molesting a Class VI student, prompting indigenous organizations to demand exemplary punishment and fast-track proceedings under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.The accused, a resident of southern India, was produced before a local court in Silchar on Thursday under tight security. A day earlier, public anger had spilled over into mob violence, with the principal allegedly being thrashed before being handed over to police.On Thursday morning, hundreds of protesters, mainly from various Rongmei Naga organizations, marched to the school campus and locked the main gates, declaring the institution would not be allowed to function until justice was delivered.The agitation then moved to the Sonai police station, where a large crowd held a sit-in for hours, raising slogans against the administration and pressing for swift legal action under Pocso. Protesters also submitted a memorandum to the officer-in charge of Sonai police station, seeking “zero tolerance” against the accused.DSP (Cachar) Rimank Borah reached the police station and held talks with protest leaders. He told the crowd: “The police and district administration are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness. Because this falls strictly under the POCSO Act, we will ensure that the investigation is thorough and the accused is awarded the most stringent punishment possible under the law.”After the assurance, protest leaders called off the demonstration, bringing temporary normalcy to the area.Police sources said the alleged incident occurred on Wednesday around 2pm, when the principal reportedly called the student to his office on the pretext of giving her a notebook after classes. The girl allegedly faced inappropriate touch and objectionable behaviour, fled in tears, and informed a female warden. The incident triggered community outrage, after which a mob allegedly entered the school, assaulted the principal, and later handed him to police.Police said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Pocso Act and the BNS, and further legal proceedings are underway.
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