Former school staffer gets 20 yrs in jail for molesting four-yr-old

Part-time staffer molested girl in school bus

GURUGRAM: A district court on Tuesday awarded 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment to a 23-yearold man for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl while he worked as a bus school conductor of a private city school in August 2016.

Additional sessions judge Rajni Yadav, while pronouncing the quantum of punishment, directed the convict Shambu to pay ₹50,000 as penalty. If he failed to pay, he would be required to serve another six years’ imprisonment, the court said.

Shambu, a resident of West Bengal, had been a week-old into the job when the incident happened. He had joined the service on a temporary basis taking his cousin’s place who had gone home to attend his mother’s funeral.

According to the police, while on their way to drop her home, Shambu had taken the girl to rear seat of the bus where he molested her.

The prosecution said that there were other students also in the bus when the incident happened. She was later dropped off at the gate of an upscale society, where she was picked up by her parents.

Her mother came to know about the incident after the girl complained of pain and was taken to a doctor. The victim’s family registered a complaint with the school, which approached the police to lodge an FIR into the matter.

Shambu was arrested on August 9, 2016 and was produced before the court next day and was sent to judicial custody. Since then he has been lodged in Bhondsi jail, said police.

Vinod Kumar, assistant public prosecutor said girl’s parents in their complaint had alleged that Shambu took the victim to the rear seat of the bus where he allegedly molested her.

The medical report, statement of the victim, her parents, and police investigations led to Shambu’s conviction under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on Monday.

“Considering all the aspects of the case, court refused to show any leniency and awarded the strictest punishment,” said Kumar.

After the incident, over 100 parents had protested over alleged security flaws in the school’s transport system and raised around 21 issues related to the security concerns they had. Of the 21 points, 10 points pertained to safety issues in buses, and 11 points pertained to safety in the school premises.

The issues included the presence of women attendants in the bus, teachers to accompany students until the last stop and police verification of the staff, among others.

Parents had also complained about security issues, like teachers not remaining in the bus till the last student got off, replacing buses with SUV vehicles and missing closed circuit television cameras and GPS systems.

The school said it welcomed the verdict.