Shimla: More than three years after a teacher sexually exploited six inmates of an NGO-run school-cum-hostel for the deaf, mute and mentally challenged, a court in Shimla on Thursday sentenced him to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for rape.
Vinod Kumar was held guilty by Additional Sessions Judge Virender Sharma, who acquitted three other teachers of the rehabilitation centre.
Public Prosecutor Ashwani Dhiman told that Vinod Kumar was convicted under Section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code. A fine of Rs.25,000 was also imposed on him.
The case of sexual abuse of the disabled children came to light in March 2009 when police raided the centre run by NGO Prerna Welfare Association on the outskirts of the city.
The poor victims were aged 13-21 years. Five of the six victims were hearing and speech impaired and one was mentally challenged.
The centre, which closed after the incident, had more than 25 disabled students and got grants under the state-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme.
"The victims neither complained to the coordinator of the NGO nor to their parents. When we went to the centre, all the six girls complained that they were being physically exploited for more than an year," Superintendent of Police R.M. Sharma had said.
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