In an appalling event, police arrested a 42-year-old teacher from Akola district of Maharashtra for reportedly molesting six class 8 female students and forcing them to watch porn movies for four months. The accused, Pramod Sardar, allegedly committed these crimes at Zilla Parishad School located in Kazikheda village, which is situated approximately 40 kilometres away from Akola.
According to police accounts, Sardar would show kids pornographic films on his cell phone before unlawfully assaulting them. The abuse lasted for months until one of the victims bravely called the 1098 child hotline, prompting an investigation by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Acting on the complaint, members of the CWC visited the school on Tuesday under the guise of conducting an educational session. They specifically requested to speak with the Class 8 girls in private, during which the victims disclosed the traumatic experiences they had endured.
Following the girls’ testimony, the CWC immediately alerted the police. “We received a call from a CWC member and dispatched a police team to the school to record the minor girls’ statements,” explained Gopal Dhole, a police inspector at Ural police station. Sardar was later arrested and prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
School principal Ravindra Samdoor expressed shock and regret over the incident, claiming he was unaware of the teacher’s misconduct. “Had I known about this, I would have taken action immediately. We only learnt about the crime when the CWC team spoke to the girls,” he said.
The event has aroused uproar, with Asha Mirje, a former member of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, criticising the assault and calling for harsh action against the instructor. Mirje also chastised the school staff, asking how such heinous behaviour could go undiscovered for so long.
