Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): In a disturbing incident, a Panchayat Secretary, Rakesh Sharma, allegedly showed an obscene video to minor schoolgirls. The incident occurred when the girls, who were on their way to tuition classes, were stopped by the secretary at Kachahari Maidan, and were shown a pornographic video on his mobile phone.
The girls, frightened and shocked by the incident, immediately informed their parents upon reaching home. Their parents reported the matter to the authorities, following which an investigation was conducted. The District Collector ordered an inquiry into the matter, leading to the suspension of Rakesh Sharma. Subsequently, the police arrested him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to information, the incident took place in the Antari police station area. The girls, who hail from a nearby village, regularly traveled to Antari for tuition in an e-rickshaw. They noticed the Panchayat Secretary loitering near their rickshaw on several occasions, but were unaware of his intentions. The situation escalated when he engaged them in conversation and showed them the explicit video.
Upon learning about the incident, the village Sarpanch immediately reported it to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the District Panchayat, Vivek Kumar. Based on the findings of an inquiry conducted by the Janpad Panchayat CEO, the District Panchayat CEO suspended Rakesh Sharma under the Madhya Pradesh Panchayat Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2011. The police have since registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act and have taken Sharma into custody.
