Assam school headmaster jailed for seven years for assaulting student on school premises

A special POCSO court in Assam's Dhubri has sentenced a headmaster to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student inside her school.

Special Judge Alhaj Sabeena Mazumdar also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 to be handed to the victim if recovered, while directing a further Rs 1 lakh in compensation under the State Victim Compensation Scheme.

The case dates back to June 10, 2021, when the girl, then a Class IX student, went to school to complete some registration formalities. The headmaster offered to sort out the paperwork himself and called her over to sit beside him, then groped her and tried to remove her clothing. Her screams brought people running from nearby shops, who caught hold of him until police arrived.

Special Public Prosecutor Rituparna Guha said six witnesses were examined during the trial, including the girl, her father, two shopkeepers from near the school, and the investigating officer. The prosecution argued that the victim's account remained steady throughout and matched what the independent witnesses described hearing and seeing, as well as her statement to a magistrate the following day.

The court convicted the accused under Section 10 of the POCSO Act, but acquitted him of rape under Section 376(3) IPC, since the assault was not penetrative.

In its order, the court quoted the well-known Sanskrit verse describing a teacher as equal to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, noting that parents entrust their children to schools believing teachers will act as guardians and protectors. It held that the accused, as headmaster, occupied the highest position of trust in the school and had betrayed a child who depended on him for safety.

The judge added that crimes of this kind undermine efforts such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao by making parents reluctant to send daughters to school, thereby threatening girls' access to education.

The court dismissed the defence's plea for a lighter sentence based on family circumstances and a clean record, ruling that the girl's age, the breach of trust involved, and the trauma she suffered outweighed these factors. It has also directed the state to arrange counselling for the victim through the Mission Vatsalya and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao schemes.