City teacher arrested for molesting 8-year-old girl

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, Aug 5, 2014:  In yet another case that highlights the vulnerability of children in institutes of learning, an eight-year-old girl was sexually abused by a 63-year-old part-time teacher at a private school on Kanakapura Road in the City on Monday.

In a swift action, the Thalaghattapura police on Tuesday afternoon arrested the accused Chandramouli, a retired postmaster who had joined the Maruti English Primary School near Gubbalala Gate barely a month ago.

He worked as a substitute teacher when other faculty members went on leave. The school has only 40 students and classes till VI standard. 

The police also arrested principal of the school, Lakshmikanth, for not informing the authorities about the incident. The victim, a Class III student, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the teacher, police said.

The incident came to light when the girl told her parents that Chandramouli had removed her dress and touched her inappropriately in school on Monday. Subsequently, her parents lodged a police complaint on Tuesday morning.

A senior police officer said Chandramouli was in the habit of touching girl students inappropriately and this had been brought to the notice of the principal. However, no action was taken against him.

“When we enquired with other girl students, they said they had complained about his misbehaviour to other teachers. Some teachers had asked him to conduct himself properly but he continued with his habit,” the officer said.

Angry parents of some students, who rushed to the school on learning about the incident, reportedly thrashed Chandramouli before the police arrived.

They demanded that stern action be taken against Chandramouli and Lakshmikanth, also urging the police to investigate if the former was involved in more such cases. 

The police have booked Chandramouli under POCSO Act Section 8 (sexual assault resulting in imprisonment of three years extendable to five years and fine).

The principal has been charged under POCSO Act Section 21 (punishment for failure to inform any authority when they come across any material or object which is sexually exploitative of the child).  Punishment for such failure is either imprisonment of up to six months or fine or both.

Block Education Officer (South Zone I) K Prakash said he would visit the school on Wednesday morning, as he got to know about the incident only on Tuesday evening. He will carry out an inspection and file a report, based on which action will be taken.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Public Instruction Mohammad Mohsin said he would direct the DDPI concerned to look into it. “Whatever action has to be initiated by the department will be decided after this,” he added.

Only recently, similar incidents were reported at Vibgyor High school at Marathahalli and Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir on Kanakapura Road.