The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed a Government Urdu School in Bangalore to permit a 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and had given birth in April this year, to continue her studies in Class 8 of the school.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy passed the interim order on petitions filed by the girl and her mother alleging that the school authorities refused to allow her to continue, had forced her to sign some documents and issued transfer certificate to the teen.
The petition said one Shakeel had allegedly raped the victim and her subsequent pregnancy had gone unnoticed.
Though the schoolgirl complained of frequent stomach ache, the local doctors had not treated her properly. Things came to a head when one day in April, being rushed to hospital due to unbearable pain, she gave birth in an autorickshaw. She was then admitted to K.C. General Hospital.
After this, the petition stated, the girl disclosed the rape to her parents and also told them the accused had threatened her into silence. Subsequently they had lodged a complaint with the jurisdictional police, who arrested the man on April 14.
The petition said the school, under the pressure from parents of other children, has now refused to allow the victim to continue in the school. The High Court has also asked the headmaster of the school to appear before it on July 18.
