Court acquits teacher in molestation case brought by student he pulled up – Times of India

DEHRADUN: A special Pocso court in Almora has acquitted a govt school teacher of molestation charges after it found the allegations against him to be baseless. The court concluded that the student complained against the teacher after he reprimanded her for not attending class. The complaint, filed by the girl’s brother on Dec 13, 2022, led to an FIR being registered by the block education officer (BEO).
This case follows a similar incident where another govt teacher in Almora was acquitted after being falsely accused of sexual misconduct by eight students.That teacher had been imprisoned for over two years before being cleared of charges.
This teacher, who was serving as the in-charge principal at the time, was accused of inappropriately touching the girl’s back. He argued the claims were part of a scheme to frame him due to a dispute with the BEO.
During a departmental inquiry, it was revealed that the girl’s parents were uncooperative and denied allegations of molestation against the teacher. The court was told the teacher had a reputation for strict discipline of students. In her testimony, the girl stated, “My friend was unwell so I went to the kitchen to get hot water. My teacher saw me and asked why I wasn’t in class. He reprimanded me for skipping class but did not touch me.” The BEO, in his testimony, said, “The girl’s brother informed me of the alleged molestation. This caused agitation among other girl students and their parents, leading them to demand action against him.”
After examining testimonies and reviewing the inquiry report, the court said the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt.