A special Pocso Court in Thane has convicted a 37-year-old teacher for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student in 2019 during a surprise test, sentencing him to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court observed that such acts tarnish the sacred teacher-student bond.
Details of the Case
Special judge Ruby U Malvankar Kadam delivered the order on Tuesday. According to the prosecution, the crime was committed by Deepak Shrimant Kadam at a technical institute where he worked as a senior teacher. Kadam summoned the complainant to his cabin under the pretext of conducting a surprise test and then inappropriately touched her, said special public prosecutor Yogendra Patil.
Immediate Reporting and FIR
The student immediately reported the matter to her friends and father, leading to the filing of an FIR. The court rejected Kadam's defence that the girl filed the complaint to escape from poor attendance, calling it an afterthought. The judge noted that Kadam failed to provide any evidence of such disciplinary issues.
Court's Observations
The judge stated: "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." The court emphasized that the teacher's actions were a betrayal of the trust placed in educators.
