A teacher at a government school at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district was arrested on Friday on the charge of raping a 13-year-old student of the school about five months ago.

The girl, a Class VIII student, is five months pregnant. The incident came to light when she complained of pain in her abdomen a few days ago. Her parents took her to a doctor, who detected the pregnancy.

The girl later told the parents that she had been sexually assaulted by a teacher of the school about five months ago when she had gone to attend coaching classes on the school premises. The teacher used to give tuition to students on the premises. He allegedly raped her after asking other students to leave.

The girl did not complain about the incident to her parents earlier as the teacher had threatened to get her grandmother removed as cook from the school and also threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to the police.

Initially, the parents took up the matter with the panchayat, which suggested that they formally lodge a complaint with the local police station against the accused teacher, Dharmendra Singh, also referred to as Dharmendra Vidrohi.

The police swung into action on Friday and arrested Dharmendra.

Sikrahana sub-divisional police officer Bambom Choudhary said charges under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 have also been slapped on the accused.

Dharmendra was produced before a local court, which remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. The station house officer of Ghorasahan police station, Amrendra Kumar, said the accused confessed to his crime.The statement of the victim has been recorded under section 164 of CrPC.

The chargesheet against the accused would be submitted in the court at the earliest.

The SHO also said that the girl would be examined by a medical board on the directive of the court.

The block education officer, Yogendra Rai Sharma, said disciplinary action would be taken against the teacher concerned, Dharmendra, for his alleged criminal act. "We received information about the incident from some local people," he told The Telegraph.

The block education officer further said that since the teacher, Dharmendra, had been sent in judicial custody, he would be put under suspension with immediate effect. "We have also informed our seniors about the involvement of the said teacher in the crime," he said.