Headmaster jailed for seven years for assaulting student on school premises

way2barak, June 13: A special POCSO court in Assam’s Dhubri has sentenced a headmaster to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student inside her school.

Court also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 to be handed to the victim if recovered, while directing a further Rs 1 lakh in compensation under the State Victim Compensation Scheme.

The case dates back to June 10, 2021, when the girl, then a Class IX student, went to school to complete some registration formalities. The headmaster offered to sort out the paperwork himself and called her over to sit beside him, then groped her and tried to remove her clothing. Her screams brought people running from nearby shops, who caught hold of him until police arrived.

The court convicted the accused under Section 10 of the POCSO Act, but acquitted him of rape under Section 376(3) IPC, since the assault was not penetrative.