One Girl Mustered Courage To Speak Up & Blow The Lid Off The CrimeWashim: A 56-year-old teacher at a zilla parishad school in Washim district was taken into custody on Wednesday after 14 minor students accused him of sexually abusing them over a year.Sources say the ordeal may have continued if not for a girl who picked the courage to confide in a woman teacher, who alerted the police. The survivors, students of Class 3 and 4, were threatened by the teacher to keep mum or face the consequences, said police.Washim police station in-charge Sridevi Patil said, “We have spoken to 10 girls so far, and more statements will be recorded. The students we spoke to are from Class 4 and we have come to know some victims are from Class 3 too. The survivors shared their trauma, which they suffered over a year.”The teacher has been arrested under multiple charges. Patil said, “The accused has been charged with sexual harassment and stringent sections of POCSO Act.”Following protocols laid down in POCSO cases, identity of the victims was protected, said police. For now, police are trying to piece together the chain of events.When asked if the number of survivors was 14 or higher, Patil said, “We have recorded in-camera statements of 10 girls. We have not been able to speak with Class 3 victims, but that will happen soon.”When police reached the school on Wednesday, parents had already gathered on the campus, triggering a commotion. Police avoided a backlash by swiftly whisking away the accused to the police station. “After hour-long questioning, the accused was arrested,” said Patil.
