RAIPUR: A 60-year old principal, who had allegedly raped a teenage student on the school premises in mid-September, was arrested in tribal Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.
Superintendent of police D Sharavan said a complaint was lodged by the 16-year-old girl against the principal, Radheshyam Netam, posted at higher secondary school in Ghanora village in Kondagaon district. Following this an FIR was registered against the principal on Tuesday.
According to the complainant, the principal had threatened the Class X student not to disclose the incident to anyone, but she narrated her ordeal to her parents, who later approached the panchayat. The panchayat imposed a fine on both and declared the matter closed.
However, after the issue became public, Kondagaon district administration ordered police investigation that later led to the arrest of Netam.
A case of rape has been registered against him.
Earlier, the panchayat in Keshkal block of Kondagaon district had held that the victim and the accused were mutually involved in a sexual relationship.
The panchayat had blamed the girl also for disturbing the social fabric of the region and warned the duo not to meet again.
The accused Netam is a married man. Police said that the teacher was a frequent visitor at the girl’s family and later physically abused her.
He used to threaten the girl that he would tamper with her results if she disclosed it to anyone.
Disappointed by the panchayat’s decision, the girl had reached out to district collector Vijay Kumar Dhurve, who ordered the teacher’s suspension.
Based on the girl’s complaint, Dhurve had formed a special investigation team to examine the case.
