Pune:
A primary school teacher in Pune allegedly raped a 12-year-old student in the school premises on December 9 and reportedly fled a few days after the incident.
Prabhakar Thukaji Burse (35), a resident of Rajgurunagar, teaches in Kaman village's Zilha Parishad School, Khed taluka. The case was not reported earlier as the girl's parents were afraid of being socially humiliated.
After Shiv Sena activists intervened and counselled the parents, a police complaint was lodged on Saturday.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said the party workers had to convince the parents of the victim to register a police complaint. "When we came to know about this case, we immediately informed Pune Rural SP Pratap Dighavkar. Shiv Sena dignitary Vijaya Shinde went to the victim's residence and spoke to the family. The family then showed readiness to file a case. We then helped the victim to lodge a police complaint."
The victim was a student of Standard VII and the accused Burse was her class teacher. On December 9 around 12.30 pm, the accused took the students of Std VI and VII to the playground for kabaddi practice. When all the students were playing, Burse told a friend of the victim to call her. The victim was reluctant to meet Burse as he had tried to molest her earlier also.
"He took the victim inside the head master's room and told her friend to stand outside. He locked the room from inside and when the victim tried to scream, Burse allegedly gagged her with a handkerchief and raped her," said Sub-Inspector Seema Dhakne of Khed Police station.
Burse has been working as a teacher for the last 10 years in the village and was appointed class teacher of standard VII in June this year. Burse's wife is also a primary teacher in another village.