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UP govt schools have no panel to deal with cases of sexual harassment

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sexual harassment

Most of the government schools in Uttar Pradesh have not yet set up a dedicated panel to deal with sexual harassment cases, as per the provisions of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act of 2012.

Lucknow, Feb 6 : Most of the government schools in Uttar Pradesh have not yet set up a dedicated panel to deal with sexual harassment cases, as per the provisions of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act of 2012.

In contrast, private schools largely abide by the Act.

Sarita Singh, gender equity consultant for basic education department, said, “We run regular awareness programmes at schools and have nodal officers in every district as well as basic education officers, who go to schools to ensure that these campaigns are run regularly. There is supposed to be one dedicated teacher in each school to look after potential cases of sexual harassment.”

Vishwajeet Pandey, district officer for Lucknow, said that no such cases of sexual harassment have ever come to his attention from the 1,871 schools under the department during his term. “We hardly get to hear of any complaints from the school in-charges. During Covid, we got a complaint regarding a child marriage — where the girl had run away from home because she was being forced into marriage. No case of sexual harassment has so far come to light.”

Notably, a circular sent out by the basic education department to all government schools in 2016 directed that every school should have a three-member management committee for the monitoring of possible sexual offences.

This panel should be chaired by the head of the school and have at least one female member.

However, according to Sarita Singh, there has hardly been any follow-up to properly check the implementation of the order.

While the basic education department runs awareness campaigns with teachers and students in schools, a system for redressal and registering of such complaints is lacking.

Shuchita Chaturvedi, member of Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said, “If a child wants to register an anonymous complaint with school authorities, how are they supposed to do that? There is nobody to address these complaints. The children are not aware of the course of action they should adopt to register a complaint.”

Meanwhile, Vijay Kiran Anand, director general for School Education Uttar Pradesh, said, “We have a programme called gender equity programme and through that, we keep conducting awareness drives. Sensitisation of teachers and students through trainings and workshops happen regularly. There are committees at the district-level but not in schools. We have given instructions to school managements but compliance of the order can be adjudged when complaints surface. We have around 1.36 lakh schools. We are not certain as to how many schools have complied to order.”

In a similar vein, Vishwajeet Pandey added, “We have conducted street plays and discussions at the schools but we never received a sexual harassment complaint as such. Complaints and suggestion boxes are provided in some schools.”

Crime

Mumbai Police Arrest Nalasopara-Based Auto Driver For Molesting 15-Year-Old Girl In Borivali

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police have arrested an auto driver from Nalasopara (East) in connection with the molestation of a student in Borivali. Naresh Moti Singh (44), a resident of Gorai, had been absconding.

About The Incident

The incident occurred on August 31 when the accused allegedly molested the 15-year-old girl while she was on her way to school. The rickshaw driver abruptly halted the vehicle and tried to touch the girl. She immediately objected and screamed loudly. Neighbors, alerted by her cries, rushed to the scene, but the driver had already escaped.

The police then filed a case against the unidentified driver under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

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Crime

Nagpur: Bar Brawl Captured on CCTV as Men Attack Bartender, Customers Flee in Panic

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In a deeply unsettling incident that has sent shockwaves through the local community, the Yoga Bar Restaurant in the Kadri area of Nagpur was violently attacked by armed individuals on [insert date]. The restaurant, located within the jurisdiction of Kanhan Police Station, witnessed a horrifying scene as the attackers caused significant damage and terrorized both staff and patrons.

The Attack

The violent unfolded in broad daylight, with CCTV footage capturing the full extent of the assault. According to the footage, a group of armed assailants, wielding swords and sticks, stormed the Yoga Bar Restaurant. Their brazen attack included smashing furniture, shattering glassware, and creating an atmosphere of intense fear. The bar owner was reportedly targeted with threats and intimidation, further escalating the chaos.

The footage reveals the attackers moving through the restaurant with alarming aggression, creating a scene of mayhem that left patrons scrambling for safety. The violent nature of the assault has raised concerns about the increasing frequency of such incidents in the region.

Response and Investigation

Local law enforcement, led by the Kanhan Police Station, responded swiftly to the incident. Officers have secured the crime scene and are analyzing the CCTV footage to identify and apprehend the perpetrators. The investigation is underway, focusing on uncovering the motive behind the attack and bringing those responsible to justice.

Authorities have appealed to the public for any additional information that might assist in their investigation. They are also conducting interviews with witnesses and restaurant staff to piece together the events leading up to and following the attack.

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Crime

Mumbai: 26-Year-Old Student Charged With Attempted Murder 2 Years After Allegedly Pushing Girlfriend Off 18-Foot-High Water Tank In Borivali

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Mumbai: A sessions court has framed charges against 26-year-old student Amey Darekar almost two years after he was arrested for allegedly pushing his girlfriend off the water tank of a Dahisar high-rise. The court said there is sufficient evidence to charge him with an attempt to murder.

Darekar had last year sought discharge from the case claiming that he had not pushed the girl and that he has been implicated on the basis of assumption. On Monday, he decided to not proceed with the discharge plea after a year of filing and chose to face trial.

The court framed the charges observing that after considering the record and documents and after hearing the submissions of the parties, there was sufficient ground for presuming that the accused had committed offence of attempting to murder.

About The Incident

As per the prosecution case, Munish Singh, father of Darekar’s girlfriend, Priyangi, had lodged a complaint that Priyangi and Darekar met on November 13, 2022, between 4.30 pm and 8 pm on the roof of La Belleza Cooperative at Borivali (East) and consumed alcohol. The two later had a quarrel and Darekar allegedly assaulted Priyangi and pushed her off the 18-foot-high water tank. Priyangi sustained multiple injuries as a result of the fall. Darekar’s mother later took her to hospital. Though Priyangi in her statement ruled out any involvement of Darekar, her father lodged a complaint of attempt to murder.

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