Assam: Teacher sentenced to five years in jail for molesting minor in Chirang

In Chirang district, a teacher has been handed a five-year jail term and a hefty fine under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for the molestation of a seventh-standard female student. The incident took place in Basugaon town.

The accused, identified as Dipak Kumar Bhagat, an assistant teacher at the local school, was found guilty of outraging the modesty of the minor girl inside a classroom. Justice C Chaturvedi of the Chirang district judicial court presided over the case and delivered the verdict today.

The court pronounced Bhagat guilty under Section 9(f) read with Section 10 of the POCSO Act and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 20,000. Additionally, failure to pay the fine would result in an additional two-month jail term, as per the court's ruling.

The court order stated, "A1 is convicted for the offence under Section 9(f) R/W Section 10 of the POCSO Act and is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 5 (Five) years with a fine of Rs. 20,000/- in default to suffer further imprisonment for 2 (Two) months."

Furthermore, it was decreed that any time already served during the investigation and trial would be deducted from the sentenced period in accordance with Section 428 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

The incident came to light after a group of parents stormed into the classroom and physically assaulted the accused teacher upon learning of his reprehensible actions towards the minor student.