3-yr-old assaulted by school supervisor in Bengaluru

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru: Feb 21, 2017, DHNS:The supervisor of a private nursery school in Bellandur in Bengaluru East was arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl on the school premises on Friday.

The situation turned ugly on Monday when a large number of parents gathered on the school campus, seeking action against the suspect and enhance security for their children.

Bellandur police rushed to the school and arrested the suspect, identified as Manjunath, under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A holiday was declared at the school.

Manjunath lured the victim into accompanying him to the toilet where he sexually assaulted her, according to the complaint. When the girl came home, she was extremely upset. She started weeping when her parents asked her the reason. Later, she told them that Manjunath had tortured her in the toilet and hurt her private parts.

The parents were shocked to hear the child’s ordeal. They took her to a nearby hospital for treatment. The medical report is yet to come.

The situation turned tense as hundreds of parents gathered at the school on Monday when the news spread. They said that the school management was trying to protect Manjunath by hushing up the matter.

They also said that school principal Veena had prevented parents from approaching the police. They charged that the assault took place due to Veena’s negligence.

A group of parents approached Bellandur police and lodged a complaint. The police summoned Veena to the police station for questioning. She was grilled over the delay in lodging a complaint.

The police also sought to know why she prevented the parents from lodging a complaint. Some parents suspect that Manjunath might have molested many children. Hence, he should be interrogated thoroughly.

The police said Manjunath was working with the school for the last three years. It is not known if the school management had verified Manjunath’s antecedents.

The police have directed the school management to ensure the children’s safety and thoroughly verify the staff’s antecedents to prevent such incidents in future.