‘Molester’ teacher buys more time

A teacher from Shirodkar High School in Parel accused of molesting two ninth standard girls has requested the school management to postpone their enquiry into the incident till he returns from his foreign tour.

The 57-year-old drawing teacher, Narayan Chitari, was arrested by the Bhoiwada police in the last week of March after the girls’ complaint, but was later released on bail.

The Kshatrakulotpanna Maratha Samaj (KMS), which manages the school, sent Chitari on four month’s compulsory leave and appointed a one-member committee to enquire into the allegations, as per the Maharashtra Education in Private School Act 198.

The KMS said they would submit the committee report to the education department, which would decide on further action.

“Management has appointed President’s Award winner and school teacher, Krishna Parab as the one-member committee.  We served a show-cause notice to the teacher, to which he was supposed reply in 15 days. He, in response, wrote a letter and requested the management to postpone the hearing till June 3 as he is out of the country,” said Subhash Phatak, director of the school.