Lecturer booked under POSCO for harassing girl student

Bandipora: A senior physics lecturer of the Education Department in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly harassing a 12th standard girl student of Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Plan and tearing her Hijab in front of the entire class.

According to the student’s complaint, the lecturer, whose name is being withheld, had been “torturing” her for a long time.

“On Monday, he crossed all his limits” and “tore off my Hijab in front of the entire class, the student said in her complaint to the Police.

Station House Officer (SHO) Bandipora Police Station, Sajjad Ahmad confirmed to Greater Kashmir that the lecturer had been booked under the POCSO Act after a complaint was lodged by the female student on Monday.

The lecturer has been booked under Section 354 IPC (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 9/10 of the POCSO Act (aggravated sexual assault).

The girl in her complaint said that she had been living under a constant “phobia” from the continuous and “daily” torture by the lecturer, due to which she was “scared” of going to school.

To complain about the lecturer’s misbehaviour, she brought her mother to the school.

However, according to the complaint, the lecturer “shouted at her” and asked her if she was allowed inside the school premises.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Bandipora, Muhammad Amin Beigh told Greater Kashmir that he had received the complaint and that the family of the girl student had been pacified.

“The girl and her family demanded that the lecturer be transferred,” Beigh said.

He said that the girl would receive all the support to complete her studies in the school, besides material and classes to prepare for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which she aspires for.