Protests against the private school in Indiranagar where a six-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by one of the teachers, has disrupted classes at a neighbouring school as well on Friday.
While the private school announced a holiday on Friday as soon as the incident came to light, BJP activists and a group of parents have gathered in front of the school demanding justice. Chaos ruled in the quiet residential locality where the school is located that a neighbouring school, also closed down on Friday. Students who had come to the school, were sent back as the school management complained that they could not hold classes in such a noisy environment.
The suspect
The suspect Jai Shankar, 40-year-old high school Hindi teacher has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a six-year-old girl at the school. Jai Shankar had joined the private school in 2009 and was taking Hindi classes for high school. His son, a lower primary student also studied in the same school.
Many high school students who spoke to The Hindu on condition of anonymity said that the arrested teacher had often misbehaved with girl students. “He often teased us of boyfriends, tried to give his mobile number to us,” one of the girl students complained.
School management incommunicado:
The private school management has turned incommunicado on Friday. Block Education Officer (BEO), South 4, S.M. Ramesh and the city police have been waiting at the school to meet the school management. However none have turned up at school and not even answering calls.
BEO S.M. Ramesh conducted a physical inspection of the school premises which revealed that there were 33 rooms, 39 staff members, eight toilets and only four CC TV cameras installed at the school. Mr. Ramesh said that the school building was U shaped and required at least 25 to 30 CC TV cameras.
A police official said that the school management had also not verified the background of all the staff members. There is a criminal case pending against the school management booked by city police in September for non-compliance of school safety guidelines prescribed.
