Palanpur: A special Pocso court in Patan sentenced a 47-year-old schoolteacher to four years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually harassing a minor student, after luring her to his home on the pretext of checking her Class XI Gujarati answer paper.The court also fined him Rs 25,000 and recommended compensation of Rs 50,000 for the victim.The court, presided over by special judge M A Sheikh, convicted Ranjit Chaudhary, a teacher of Gujarati and physical education.The prosecution submitted that the victim was studying at the same school and knew Chaudhary because he had earlier accompanied her on his scooter when she visited a gymkhana to play badminton with his daughter.On April 21, 2024, Chaudhary sent a WhatsApp message to the girl’s father, asking her to meet him near Gungadi Lake in Patan on the pretext of checking her Class XI Gujarati answer paper. He persuaded her to ride with him on his scooter and took her to his house.Once inside, he sat close to her and touched her inappropriately. When he later asked her to enter a room on the pretext of placing the answer paper in a bag, she refused. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her into the room. The girl pushed him away and fled from the house. She first confided in a friend and later informed her parents, after which a complaint was lodged at Patan City B Division police station.The investigating officer, R K Solanki, collected evidence, recorded the girl’s statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and obtained forensic and scientific evidence before filing the chargesheet.At trial, the court accepted birth records establishing that the girl was 16 years, nine months and 18 days old at the time. The prosecution also relied on scientific evidence and call detail records and chats to support its case.The court observed that a teacher was entrusted with the responsibility of protecting and guiding students, and described the sexual exploitation of a student by a teacher as reprehensible. It also noted that victims often remain silent out of fear, shame or concern about social stigma.The judge commended the girl for resisting the accused and reporting the incident, observing that her courage could help protect other students from similar abuse.
