Bapon Nath, a teacher in Lower Assam’s Goalpara district, who was absconding since suicide of a girl student, has been arrested by police near Guwahati on Saturday night.
Nath is a teacher at Sakardev Shishu Vidya Niketan of Agia in Goalpara district.
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A girl, who was a student of Nath and had affairs with him, committed suicide on Sunday last.
He has been arrested on charges of abetting suicide of the girl.
“We have arrested him last night about at 10 pm from NH-37 at Sonapur near Guwahati when he was trying to leave Assam,” Umacharan Ray, Officer-in-Charge of Agia PS told Northeast Now on Sunday.
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Ray, who led the operation said, “We will produce him before the court and seek remand.”
The Class X girl student committed suicide by hanging at their residence after her ‘relationship’ with the teacher was caught by her mother during a conversation with him through a mobile phone.
The mobile phone handset was allegedly provided to the girl by the teacher.
“The accused was a very shrewd man, who used several mobile handsets prior to the incident,” the police officer said.
“But once the incident occurred, he overnight went underground and immediately stopped using mobile phones. This made the operation hard and trace him,” Ray added.
“However, our continuous effort took a positive turn when we received information that he was taking shelter in a cement factory at Khanapara,” the OC said.
But before the police team arrived at the hiding place, he tried to flee in an Artiga vehicle.
“We had a tough time chasing him on National Highway and finally succeeded to trap him between two trucks. We then brought him back to Goalpara,” Ray narrated the venture.
Police claimed Nath has confessed during interrogation that he had physical relationship with the victim.
“He has confessed that he had physical relationship with the deceased. So, he will be charged under sections of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012,” Ray said.
Meanwhile, several organisations including the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), which staged demonstration in front of the school, have congratulated the police for the arrest.
“We congratulate the police for their action,” said Gagan Patgiri, secretary, Agia chapter of AASU.
“We demand justice for the victim and urge the school authority to keep an eye on the student-teacher relationship,” he added.
Bengali Yuva Satra Parishad and Nath Yogi Students’ Union have also expressed satisfaction over the arrest of the accused teacher.