Kolkata, 22 January (H.S.) : A school teacher from the Maheshtala area of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal has been arrested on charges of allegedly molesting a Class IV student, police officials said on Thursday.

The incident sparked widespread tension in the area, with angry parents gathering in large numbers at the school premises to protest and demand strict action against the accused.

According to the police, the arrest was made late on Wednesday night after a written complaint was lodged at the Maheshtala police station. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

As per school and police sources, the girl student had gone to school on Wednesday as usual. Her family alleged that a Bengali language teacher called her out of the classroom on the pretext of giving her a storybook. The teacher allegedly took the student to the second floor of the school building, where the incident occurred.

After returning home, the child informed her mother about the incident. The family then rushed to the school and staged a protest, following which several parents assembled outside the institution seeking an explanation from the school authorities.

Police acted swiftly and arrested the accused teacher within a few hours of the complaint being registered. Sources further indicated that there had been earlier allegations of similar misconduct against the teacher.

“The accused has been arrested and will be produced before the court. Police will seek custody for further investigation. The investigation is underway,” said a senior officer of the South 24 Parganas district police.

The incident has raised serious questions about why no action was taken earlier despite past allegations against the teacher. Regular academic activities at the school have remained disrupted since Wednesday due to the unrest following the incident.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh