Latest News | Physics Teacher Booked Under POCSO Act, Found Guilty in Departmental Enquiry; Dismissed

Shimla, July 29 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday dismissed a Physics teacher from service for alleged molestation of girl students, citing grave misconduct and violation of provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Rakesh Kumar, presently posted at Government Senior Secondary School in Solan district, was served dismissal orders by the director of school education.

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During his previous posting in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district, Kumar was accused of misbehaving with and molesting girl students.

An FIR was registered against him on May 9, 2023, under Section 354A (penalizes sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, officials said.

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A departmental inquiry under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, was initiated on September 6, 2023 and entrusted to Vaibhav Kumar Shukla, Principal of Government Degree College, Paonta Sahib.

Kumar had approached the Himachal Pradesh High Court seeking quashing of the charge sheet or a stay on the departmental proceedings until the conclusion of the criminal trial. However, the court dismissed the plea, observing that there was no ground to stay the inquiry under the given circumstances.

The inquiry officer, in his report, stated that the documents submitted by Kumar to contest the charges appeared questionable in authenticity and failed to adequately disprove the allegations.

The report also noted that Kumar remained in judicial custody from May 9 to June 3, 2023, indicating the serious nature of the case.

"Taking into account the gravity of the misconduct, the nature of allegations involving moral turpitude, and the imperative need to ensure student safety, I am of the considered opinion that Rakesh Kumar is not fit to be retained in government service," the inquiry officer concluded.

Based on the findings, the government imposed a 'major penalty' and dismissed Kumar from service with immediate effect.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)