Sexually exploited Odisha students get relief

Odisha Channel Bureau New Delhi, Mar 12: Persistence of the National Human Rights Commission ensured that 13 students, victims of sexual exploitation by a teacher at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Nayagarh, Odisha, got rupees one lakh each as relief for violation of their right to life and dignity.The school functions under the aegis of Jawahar Navodaya Samiti, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.The complainant had alleged that 38 students of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya had been tortured and forced to have unnatural sex with the teacher at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Nayagarh, Odisha for a period of one and a half years. The issue was widely covered by media on September 23, 2012.The Commission, after enquiry, found that only 13 students were sexually exploited.The accused teacher was arrested and terminated from the service. Four other teachers, who supported the accused and pressurised the complainant to withdraw his complaint, were suspended.Criminal proceedings were going on against them in a court of law.The then Principal of the school, who failed to keep a vigil on the immoral activities of the teacher for a long time and tried to suppress the incident, was transferred to another place. Criminal proceedings against him were also going on.The Commission remained firm in not accepting the contention of the concerned authorities that monetary relief should not be awarded to the victims since they had expressed satisfaction with the action against the accused teacher and others who either tried to support the accused or suppress the issue.