Govt asked Edu Dept to suspend school teacher: Balakrishnan

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 8 (UNI) Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today informed the state Assembly that the government had asked the Education Department to suspend the school teacher who allegedly abused minor girls at a school in Nadapuram.

Replying a notice for adjournment motion by Mr K Babu of the Congress, he condemned the incident and assured that stern action would be taken against such people.

The minister said police have arrested the teacher, A K Haridas, working at the Puliuavu Government Lower Primary School at Nadapuram in Kozhikode district and remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days.

Moving a notice for adjournment motion about the alleged sexual harassment against minor girls in the school, Mr Babu alleged the police had not taken the issue seriously and even hesitated to register a case against the teacher, despite a complaint from the school headmaster in this regard.

However, the minister clarified the government had issued orders to inquire into the incident immediately after receiving e intelligence report.

Stating the government was taking ''such issues very seriously,'' he said the ''inhuman'' behaviour of such people was an insult to teaching fraternity.

Satisfied with Mr Balakrishnan's reply, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said ''we are respecting the ministers' assurance'' and demanding that necessary orders be issued to suspend the teacher from service today itself.

Police had filed a case against Haridas on March five on the basis of a complaint lodged by the mother of one of the girls, who alleged the teacher had frequently harassed her sexually in the class and in the staff room.

During preliminary inquiries conducted by police at the school, it found that at least ten more girls from the same class had faced similar experiences from Haridas.

UNI