Thane: School clerk sent to 1 day in jail for remarks on teachers' caste

Thane: A local court has sentenced a staffer of a private school to "one day in jail" after he was found guilty in a 2010 case pertaining to SC/ST Atrocities Act.

District and Special Judge V V Bambarde recently sentenced Lalchandra Chaube (28) to one day in jail, though he was later asked only to remain present in the courtroom till evening. A fine of Rs 5,000 was also imposed on him.

According to prosecution, the accused worked as a clerk at Pandurang Vidyalala in Kalwa here.

The incident took place on June 23, 2010. While salary was being distributed by Chaube, few teachers enquired about their pending salaries, to which he chided and hurled abuses at them and made derogatory remarks on their caste.

Later, a case was lodged against him under relevant sections of Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by one of the teachers belonging to SC/ST community.

Defence counsel G B Chavan in his submission told the court that there was a delay in lodging the complaint with the police.

The judge, while deciding to award lesser quantum of punishment, observed that though there was a delay on part of the complainant due to reasons like fear of losing job, the accused has promised to maintain cordial relations with the teacher in the school and also has family liabilities.

"Since, the accused is related to management and his advocate submitted that cordial relations will be maintained in the school, I find that lesser punishment than six months shall be imposed for harmony and peace in the institution," the court observed.