School principal, 2 teachers booked
Police have found the victim’s register which reveals her despair and anxiety
NOIDA: A day after a 15-year-old girl committed suicide at her Noida residence allegedly due to sexual harassment by her teachers and amid accusations of purposely failing her in the exams, police have booked two teachers under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act and for abetment to suicide.
The principal of victim’s school has also been booked for abetment to suicide. However no one has been arrested so far.
The victim’s family has alleged that the girl was under tremendous stress because of the two teachers. The victim was a Class 9 student at a reputed private school in Mayur Vihar Phase I.
“Based on the complaint received from the parents, we have booked two teachers of the victim girl’s school under sections 306, 506 and 354 of the Indian Penal Code for abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation and sexual harassment. They have also been booked under ¾ section of the POCSO Act for sexual harassment of a minor. No arrest has been made yet as our investigation is going on,” Akhilesh Tripathi, station house officer, sector 24 police station, Noida, said.
The police have found a register from the victim’s room, in which she had scribbled a few lines that showed her despair and anxiety. According to the police, the notes suggested that she was under academic stress.
“We have found a register from the girl’s room in which she had mentioned a few things. We are probing it as part of our overall investigation. We will take action as per the facts that will emerge after our investigation. Police are in constant touch with the family,” said Ajay Pal Sharma, SSP, Gautam
Budh Nagar.
The girl was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence at 6pm on Tuesday. The girl allegedly committed suicide when she was alone in the house. Her family was out on errands.
No suicide note was found near the body. But the family has alleged that the girl was under stress due to the poor results in a recent examination.
“My daughter was under extreme stress for the past two months as she used to tell us that her teachers want to fail her. She had also complained to me a month ago that her teachers touch her inappropriately. Her results were declared on March 16 and she got seven marks in social studies and failed by two marks in science. Which student gets seven marks? The teachers have intentionally forced my daughter to commit suicide by mentally and physically torturing her,” the father said.
The police visited the school and questioned the two teachers and the principal.
In his defence, the principal of the private school told ANI, “Such a thing has never happened. The allegations are baseless and we are with the family at this moment.”
Meanwhile, superintendent of police AK Singh suspended constable Nirpender Singh for dereliction of duty when he failed to include sections of sexual harassment under the POCSO act in the first information report, triggering a massive protest from the family members.
“Constable Nirpender Singh has been suspended for dereliction of duty by SP city as he failed to include sections of sexual harassment in the FIR despite complaint by the family of the deceased girl,” Tripathi said.