A specially-abled man attached to a government primary school at a village near Gujarat’s Upleta was arrested on Thursday on charges of allegedly sexually abusing several minor girls over a period of approximately one year, the police said. According to police, the accused, identified as Devanand Bera, was posted at a government primary school for the past three years. As per authorities, the teacher is physically disabled and nearing retirement. 

He allegedly used to touch minor girls enrolled at the school inappropriately and also engaged in sexually abusing them on school premises. 

Misconduct takes place between June 2025-May 2026

As per police, the alleged offences took place between June 28, 2025 and May 2, 2026. During this period, the accused allegedly leveraged on the girls’ innocence and engaged in inappropriate physical contact with them. The cops also alleged that some victims faced serious sexual abuse. 

One girl complaints about ‘bad touch,’ exposes abuse

Notably, the case came to light when one student, who had endured abuse at the hands of the accused, confided in her parents about the alleged ‘bad touch.’ The parents of the girl spoke to other students and discovered that four other girls had also met the same fate. The revelations triggered outrage among parents and local residents. 

The parents of all the victims subsequently approached the Patanvav police station, demanding action against the accused teacher. Police registered a case and launched a probe into the incident. 

Statements of survivors, their parents recorded

As part of the probe, the cops recorded statements of the victims and their parents. Authorities have also conducted medical examinations of the survivors and the accused. Preliminary findings revealed that the school was devoid of CCTV cameras, prompting the cops to gather additional evidence through other means. 

Accused booked under POCSO Act

On the basis of the parents’ complaints, the police have invoked Sections 75(2), 351(2), 64(2) and 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 6, 8, 10 and 18 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against Bera. The cops have arrested him, while the Education Department suspended him after learning about his alleged misconduct.