LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – The Lahore High Court has rejected the bail plea of a teacher accused in a case involving the alleged sexual abuse of an underage student and directed authorities to strengthen child protection measures in schools across Punjab.
Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued a detailed five-page verdict, ordering the verification of all teaching and non-teaching staff, installation of CCTV cameras in schools, mandatory child protection training, and the establishment of confidential complaint mechanisms.
According to the court order, the case was registered at Saddar Police Station in Rahim Yar Khan against the accused, Shan Ali Alias Zeeshan. A 12-year-old student alleged that his teacher sexually abused him at school, while the co-accused recorded a video of the incident.
The prosecution told the court that statements from the victim and other witnesses had been recorded. It also said a forensic examination of the video found no evidence of tampering and supported the allegations against the accused.
The defence argued that the case was registered after a delay, the video was fabricated, and the accused had no previous criminal record, requesting that bail be granted.
However, the court ruled that witness statements, video evidence and other material on record linked the accused to the offence. The verdict also noted that a large number of other offensive videos were allegedly recovered from the accused’s mobile phone, further strengthening the case.
Citing the seriousness of the allegations and the non-bailable nature of the offence, the court dismissed the bail application. It also directed the Punjab government to improve monitoring and child safety measures in educational institutions and ensure implementation of the court’s orders through the relevant authorities.