Thane, May 7 A Special POCSO Court in Maharashtra’s Thane has convicted a 37-year-old teacher for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student during a “surprise test” nearly seven years ago and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment.
Such acts tarnish the sacred “guru-shishya” bond, said Special Judge Ruby U Malvankar Kadam in the order on Tuesday.
According to the prosecution, the crime was committed by Deepak Shrimant Kadam at a technical institute on May 24, 2019.
Kadam, a senior teacher, summoned the complainant to his cabin under the pretext of a “surprise test”. He then inappropriately touched her, Special Public Prosecutor Yogendra Patil told the court during the trial.
The teenager immediately reported the matter to her friends and father, leading to an FIR.
While Kadam said the girl filed the complaint to escape from her “poor” attendance, the court rejected this defence as an “afterthought”, noting that he failed to provide evidence of such disciplinary issues.
“The accused by his indecent behaviour has clearly presented an ugly and heinous picture to the students which would have shattered their faith and tarnished the image of guru-shishya bond,” said the judge.
The court held Kadam guilty under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and handed him three years of rigorous imprisonment. It directed him to pay Rs 5,000 compensation to the complainant.
It also recommended that the matter be referred to the District Legal Services Authority for compensation under the Manodhairya Scheme for the complainant.
