Five School Staff Arrested Under POCSO in Kendrapara Minor Assault Case

Bhubaneswar: Five staff members of a private English-medium school in Odisha’s Kendrapara district have been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old Class 7 student.

According to Rajkanika Police, the arrests were made after a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Those arrested include three male teachers, one female teacher and a peon employed at the school. All the accused are currently being interrogated as part of the ongoing investigation.

The alleged incident is reported to have taken place on the school premises. Police are probing the specific roles of each accused. The involvement of the female teacher is under investigation, and officials said it is yet to be ascertained whether she directly participated in the crime or had prior knowledge of it.

The case came to light after the victim’s mother submitted a written complaint to the Kendrapara District Child Welfare Committee.

Taking serious note of the allegation, the Child Welfare Committee initiated an inquiry and visited the school. “We received the complaint on February 18 and began the investigation on February 19, considering the sensitivity of the matter. We have recorded the statement of the survivor and conducted a visit to the school,” said Swagatika Patra, Chairperson of the CWC, Kendrapara.

Meanwhile, police also conducted inquiries at the victim’s residence as part of the investigation. Further details are awaited as the probe continues.