Goalpara: Three employees of the school section of Goalpara Science Academy, which had last month hit the headlines for the Plus Two question paper leak, have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of a Class X student on its campus at Bapujinagar in Goalpara town, about 142km west of Guwahati, on Monday afternoon.

According to police, the main accused are Humayun Kabir, a yoga teacher of the school, its headmaster Khanindra Nath and director Nazmul Hoque, and they have been booked under the different Sections of Prevention of Children from the Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012. If convicted, they face a minimum of seven years in jail.

The director and headmaster have been booked under this act for not informing the police or child rights authorities within 24 hours of the incident. This may lead to imprisonment of up to an year and a fine.

Kabir was arrested on Sunday night after the victim recorded her statement. Hoque and Nath were arrested on Monday. All of them were produced in court. Later, the main accused was sent to seven days' police remand, while Hoque and Nath got two days in police remand.

Police said the victim hails from Lakhipur area of West Goalpara and was allegedly raped inside the school building by Kabir around at 2pm on Sunday. The incident occurred when the schoolgirls were brought from their hostel to the main school building, nearly 2km from from the hostel and situated near the DICI field in Goalpara town, for lunch.

The teacher reportedly followed her when she went to the toilet and raped her. The victim went back to the hostel and told the warden, who immediately informed the school authorities.

However, the authorities allegedly tried to hush up the matter. "Instead of informing the police they called the teacher and let him go after a scolding," said Amitava Sinha, superintendent of police. The victim then informed her parents who immediately arrived at the girls hostel attached to the main college block of Science Academy in Goalpara town and raised a hue and cry. At this, the school authorities called the police to control the parents of the girl but withheld news of the incident.

The Child Welfare Committee, along with a team of District Child Protection Unit visited the scene and interacted with the teachers of the school. They also met the police .

On Monday, a crowd gathered outside the school and student organisations like AASU, Goria-Moria-Deshi Jatiya Parishad demanded exemplary punishment to the accused. They also demanded ouster of the academy from the town.