A seven-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in the washroom of the private school she was enrolled in allegedly by a 19-year-old diploma dropout on Monday.
The police have arrested the accused, Suman, and booked the principal and the manager of the educational institution which runs both the school and a diploma college on the outskirts of the city.
“Though the incident occurred on Monday, the family approached the police only on Tuesday and alleged that the management had tried to hush up the incident by attempting to speak to both the parents of the victim and the accused in the hope that a compromise would be reached,” said a police officer.
The school, which has around 150 students in class one to class seven, is located behind the diploma college The victim, who studies in class two, reported to school at 8 a.m. on Monday. Classes got over at 3.30 p.m., after which she attended an extra class offered by the school.
Locked from inside
While in the extra class, the girl asked for permission from the teacher to go to the washroom. The police later learned that Suman was hiding in the washroom. “He locked the toilet door from inside and sexually assaulted her. Teachers and other staff heard the girl’s screams and ran to the toilet to find the door locked from inside. When they started hammering on the door, Suman opened it and attempted to run away,” the police officer added.
He was chased by a few staff members who beat him up and escorted him to the principal’s room. The management called the girl’s parents to the school and allegedly urged them to arrive at a compromise. However, victim’s mother approached the Avalahalli police the next day and lodged a complaint.
Based on the complaint, the police tracked down Suman, a resident of Kurubarahalli in Hoskote. He was arrested on Wednesday, produced before a magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody. The police learnt that Suman was a second year diploma student who had discontinued his course as he had failed thrice.
The police are investigating as to why he had come to the college that day and how he was able to enter the school premises and hide in the girls’ washroom without getting caught.
“The school has installed CCTV cameras but security personnel were not on duty when the incident occurred,” the police officer said.
