Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A teacher of Manav Mandir school in Mumbai was arrested on Sunday on charges of sexually abusing a six-year-old student.
After returning home from school on Thursday,the boy started crying and complained of pain in his private parts. His parents found him bleeding. Initially,the boy named a 10-year-old student from his school and his parents informed the school authorities on Friday.
Ravi Verma,administrator of the school,said,The parents informed us about the incident on Friday… We asked them to give a written complaint against the other boy. We also immediately informed the boys parents and suspended him till October 7. We were about to start an inquiry from Monday,but on Sunday evening I received a call from the class teacher of the six-year-old that his parents have filed a police complaint against one of our teachers Shivaji Tawade. As of now,we dont have a clear idea of who did it.
The police have registered an FIR against Tawade,27,a physical education teacher,for sexually abusing the boy. The parents of the victim said the accused even threatened their son,a Class II student,of dire consequences if he revealed his name. When the boy started crying,Tawade asked him to blame the 10-year-old boy.
We were very angry when my son told us about the other boy. But it is impossible for a 10-year-old to do such a thing. Later,when we coaxed him to tell us what exactly happened,he revealed Tawades name. My son is in trauma and refuses to go to school, said his father.
On Monday,nearly 25 parents gathered outside the school to request the principal to cancel the boys suspension. His mother said,The authorities asked my son to write a letter,admitting he hurt the other boy. They even threatened to expel him if he did not write it. The police have arrested the culprit. Now they should allow my son to attend school.
