A teacher is expected to act as a protector and such heinous acts by the accused have left a lifelong "psychological and emotional impact" on the victims, special judge Seema Jadhav said in the order on Tuesday. The accused, who worked as a teacher at a school in suburban Govandi, was held guilty under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act by the court.

He was accused of sexually assaulting three students, aged below 12, of his class. In the detailed order, available on Wednesday, the court said the accused is not a layman but a teacher, "the only career that influences other professions."

"Hence, the teacher is expected to act as a protector. Such heinous acts by the accused have cast a lifelong psychological and emotional impact on the victims," the judge said. The court also noted the teacher has no criminal antecedents.

Considering the facts in the present case, the minimum punishment under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act "would meet the ends of justice", the court said, while sentencing him to five years in jail.

The mother of one of the victims complained to the police in September 2019, following which a case was registered against the teacher. As per the complaint, the three victims were students of standard fifth and the accused was their class teacher.

The victims have accused him of "frequently touching them inappropriately". The court held that there is no reason to disbelieve the testimony of the victims, which is corroborated by other witnesses as well. The accused has not brought on record any probable evidence to corroborate his defense of false implication at the instance of another teacher, it said.

"Upon evaluating the testimony of victims and other witnesses, the prosecution has been able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt that the accused has committed non-penetrative sexual assault, as defined in section 7 of the POCSO Act, upon the victims below 12 years repeatedly," the court said.