Shimla, May 31 -- A local court in Kinnaur sentenced an arts teacher to 7 years in prison for sexual assault on 12 schoolgirls. The court said, "Child sexual abuse is a social crisis of significant magnitude".

The 44-year-old teacher hails from Madhya Pradesh and was teaching arts to the students of class 6. A case was registered in September 2024, where 12 students had accused the teacher of sexually assaulting them.

The fast-track special court (Rape/ POCSO) Kinnaur at Rampur Bushahr in district Shimla, on May 30, while convicting the accused teacher said, "A teacher holds a position of trust and responsibility... Convict, being such an experienced teacher, was supposed to protect the minor girls in his guardianship, who reposed compl...