Teacher arrested for rape of Class IX student in Sundargarh

Rourkela: A govt high school teacher was arrested in Sundargarh on Wednesday for allegedly raping a Class IX student multiple times and threatening her, a day after the district education authorities suspended him from service.Police said the 34-year-old accused, employed as an arts teacher and serving as acting head of the school, was taken into custody following allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted the 14-year-old girl and issued threats to silence her. He was suspended by the district education officer on Tuesday evening.Police said the teacher stays in a rented accommodation. The girl had approached him for help in correcting an error in her Aadhaar details. Investigators said he allegedly took advantage of the situation, escorting her to an Aadhaar centre and later to his rented quarters, where he first sexually assaulted her. He is also suspected to have assaulted her on multiple occasions, including on the school premises when no one was around.Police sources said the girl and a few other students had complained of inappropriate behaviour by the teacher to the school administration in Jan. The matter was forwarded to the district education office, following which a two-member internal complaints committee visited the school and conducted an inquiry. After the committee submitted its report on Tuesday, the teacher went into hiding.The girl lodged a formal complaint at the local police station on Wednesday. A case of rape and criminal intimidation was registered, and the accused was traced and arrested. Police said he had allegedly been threatening the girl with dire consequences if she disclosed the abuse.Both the survivor and the accused have undergone medical examination as part of the investigation.