Bengaluru: A 16-year-old class nine student was allegedly raped on several occasions by her physical education instructor after he lured her into his sister’s house outside the school premises under Jalahalli police station limits.
The accused, Lakshmikantha, said to be around 35 years old, sexually assaulted the girl three to four times between June and November last year. The victim shared the horrendous ordeals with her friends, who brought it to the notice of the school management.
The management conducted a detailed inquiry, found the physical education teacher guilty and filed a complaint with the Jalahalli police on Tuesday night, after consulting the girl’s parents.
The police registered an FIR immediately under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the victim was subjected to a medical examination. But the physical education teacher has been missing since the school initiated the inquiry and is yet to be arrested by the police.
“The place of crime, where he allegedly sexually assaulted the girl, is outside the school premises, which is the accused sister’s house. The victim said that she was assaulted about three to four times between June and November,” said Mr T.R. Suresh, DCP (North Division). “But the school authorities found out only in January-end when the girl's classmates informed a teacher, after which an inquiry was initiated by the school management,” Mr Suresh said.
After conducting the inquiry, the school management consulted the girl’s parents before filing the complaint. By then, the accused had quit work and gone underground, police sources said.
The Jalahalli police have recorded the statements of the victim and her parents, while a team of police officials has been dispatched to nab the teacher. He has been booked under Section 376 of IPC (for rape) and Section 6 of the POCSO Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault).
