Teachers hired by pvt trust come under NMMC scanner

NAVI MUMBAI: After the alleged molestation incident of 14 minor girls at a civic school in Turbhe, the education department of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), started scrutiny of all teachers hired through a private trust at its civic schools on Friday. NMMC runs a total of 70 schools of which 53 are primary and 17 are secondary schools.

The civic body will scan through the records of all other teachers who have been hired through a private trust.

On Thursday, Turbhe police arrested a municipal school teacher for allegedly molesting at least 14 minor girls over the past two months.

The accused, Lochan Parulekar,31, has been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and remanded in police custody till March 2.

Parulekar was hired through a private trust to teach computers, he taught students from classes six to eight.

NMMC education officer and deputy municipal commissioner, Nitin Kale, said, “He was not employed directly by the civic corporation and was hired by private trust on a contract basis.”

“The case is disturbing, hence, we have taken safety measure and started scrutiny of all other teachers hired through the same route,” added Kale.

“Till further instructions there will be no hiring from indirect route and even if it is done, only female teachers would be hired that too after character certification and police verification,” said the education officer of the NMMC.

Taking a step towards safety of the children, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has also given instructions to complete the process of CCTV installation in all civic schools in another 15 days so.