Allegation of sexual harassment at Potashpur school; Biology teacher arrested, FIR against Headmaster too
East Medinipur, July 5: Tuhin Kanti Bhuiya, a biology teacher at Ichhabari Thana High School in Bhupatinagar, has been arrested following allegations of sexually harassing a female student. It is alleged that he had been eyeing the student inappropriately since she was in Class XI. He would reportedly summon her to his rented accommodation under the pretext of conducting “special classes” and harass her. Allegations have also surfaced that the school’s Headmaster attempted to cover up the incident.
According to the victim’s written complaint, the biology teacher began targeting her when she was in Class XI. He would lure her to his rented home by promising special classes, where he allegedly forcibly embraced and sexually assaulted her.
Unable to bear the harassment, the student stopped attending the private tutoring sessions. It is alleged that the teacher subsequently began harassing her over the phone. It later came to light that several other female students in the class had similarly fallen prey to the teacher’s predatory behavior.
The students claim that the matter was reported to the school’s Headmaster, but he failed to take any action against the accused teacher. Instead, he allegedly scolded the students and told them to remain silent.
Distraught and emotionally shattered, the student eventually confided in her family about the incident. On Friday, her mother filed a written complaint at the Potashpur Police Station against both the biology teacher and the Headmaster.
Acting on the complaint, the police conducted a raid that night and arrested the prime accused, biology teacher Tuhin Kanti Bhuiya. He was produced before the Kanthi Sub-divisional Court on Saturday. The police are also investigating the role of the Headmaster.
The incident at Ichhabari Thana High School in Bhupatinagar has caused a stir in the area, sparking panic among parents. The Potashpur police have registered a case under the POCSO Act and initiated an investigation.
