Over 400 students, teachers, and parents have signed on to a petition calling for the immediate release of a private school teacher who was recently jailed and fined for allegedly engaging in sexual activities with a minor.
Mohammed Wazir Khan was on Thursday last, handed a three-year prison term and fined $1 million by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly after she found him guilty of the act.
It was alleged that on March 9, 2019, Khan was involved in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 and abusing a position of trust.
The court heard that Khan braced his penis towards the minor’s vagina and squeezed her butt. The petition was created by Nivia Dyal and is petitioning the Ministry of Education and the Global Partnership for Education.
“Mohamed Wazir Khan, a Mathematics teacher, and economics professor, is a teacher for 16+years, and dwelled with thousands of students both day and night classes. Through his knowledge, he has educated and nurtured so many young students around the world. He is also one of the best [mentors] a student can have,” Dyal said.
She added that lately, Khan had been accused of sexual harassment in engaging with a minor under the age of 16. She said, however, that the “news is not putting the entire story and is too silent.”
“And with all the hard work and everything Mr. Khan has done, why can’t he get this support when he needs it! Those who know Mr. Khan will say this is not true. He has never interfered with any of his students over the [years]. His only interest [is] his students learning and their grade improvement. He would never touch any student in any illicit manner.”
Dyal, while urging persons to sign the petition, explained that Khan is an affectionate teacher who loves and cares for his students. She noted that Khan was more than a teacher, but rather a father and a brother.
“So this wrongful accusation was not [right], and whoever did this you have got it all wrong, and you are messing with someone’s life and future. As a teacher, he has the [right] to ask why you are missing classes. Not for you to create a fake story and jeopardize his teaching career. All Khan does is remind his students about their performance and wants the best for us.”
To this end, the petitioner said that many would lose Khan “through a wicked content.”
“This Petition here is to Free Wazir Khan because we all know he is innocent and was wrongfully accused. There’s another side to this story that we do not know. Mr. Khan worked so hard all over the years, sleepless nights trying to get his students [to] pass their examinations. This is not fair to him. Having his reputation go down the drain. Please sign. Free Wazir Khan!!!”
