School principal and staff charged with raping 13-year-old student in Kutch
Police have filed an FIR against a school principal, a hostel warden, a trust secretary and a committee member for allegedly raping a Class 8 girl at a residential school in Rapar, Kutch.
In Rapar taluka of Kutch district, a school principal, the hostel warden, the trust secretary and a core committee member have been charged with raping a 13-year-old girl studying in Class 8 at a residential school run by Gram Swaraj Sangh. The case emerged when a female teacher found a pregnancy test kit on the premises and, after reviewing CCTV footage, identified the principal’s pocket as the source. According to police inspector R L Khattana, the principal allegedly lured the girl to an isolated spot behind the hostel and assaulted her two days before and two days after the Independence Day events.
Rather than notifying authorities, the school merely suspended the principal and sent the girl back to her family. Police, with the Child Welfare Committee’s help, filed an FIR at Rapar police station, charging the four individuals under the relevant sections of the BNS and POCSO Acts.
Why it matters
The case highlights failures in protecting minors and the need for stricter oversight of educational institutions.
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