Legal Verdict: Principal and Teacher Sentenced in Pune School Molestation Case
Pune, 25th February 2024: In a school molestation case, the principal and a contract teacher have been sentenced by Additional Sessions Judge KP Nandedkar. The principal, Rameshwar Vilas Rathod, aged 35 and a resident of Kharadi, has been sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 thousand. The order states that failure to pay the fine would result in an additional 15 days of imprisonment.
The incident occurred between December 2018 and January 17, 2019, in a reputed school in the Hadapsar area, where Rathod served as a contract teacher. The victims were girls attending the school for various activities, including dance, handicraft, painting, and sports. Rathod showed them pornographic images on his mobile phone under the pretext of teaching dance.
The girls were reportedly threatened by Rathod not to disclose the incident, as he would come to their homes and engage in obscene acts depicted in the pictures if anyone spoke out. The matter was brought to the attention of the ‘Muskan’ NGO, leading to a case being registered. The court considered the testimony of one victim, her parents, a student, the student’s parents, two volunteers, and the investigating officer. The defence examined one witness, but their testimony was deemed false, leading to a conviction.
