Lecturer dismissed after conviction for molestation

The Directorate of Higher Education has terminated the services of Narinder Kumar, a school lecturer posted at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Sukhar in Fatehpur sub-division, following his conviction by the fast track court, Dharamsala on charges of molesting schoolgirls.

The court recently sentenced the lecturer to two years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for misbehaving with and molesting students of Class XI and XII.

Amarjeet Sharma, Director of Higher Education, confirmed the termination and stated that the conviction stemmed from a complaint lodged by a student of Gangath GSSS in Indora sub-division, where the accused was then serving as a physics lecturer. Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at Nurpur police station on October 23, 2019, under Sections 354-A, 354 and 506 of the IPC and Sections 7, 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act. Sharma further said the department had also initiated a departmental inquiry into the allegations. “The inquiry was conducted by Dr Aruna Sharma, then Principal of Government Arya College, Nurpur, who found sufficient material to substantiate the charges,” he said. Subsequently, the lecturer was chargesheeted under Rule 14 of the CCS Rules, 1965, on December 2, 2019.

Himachal Tribune