Karnataka School Teacher Arrested for Attempted Rape of 11-Year-Old Student in Classroom

Bengaluru:

A school teacher has been apprehended for trying to assault an 11-year-old schoolgirl in the classroom in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, as per officials on Wednesday.

The incident took place at a government school within the jurisdiction of Nimbarga police station in Aland taluk of the district.

According to authorities, the victim was enrolled in Class 5 in the school. The perpetrator targeted her when she entered the classroom after having lunch on Tuesday. The girl was by herself in the classroom during the attack.

The offender warned her not to cry out and tried to assault her. However, when the girl fought back and started shouting for help, the teacher ran away from the school grounds. The girl went home and informed her parents about the incident, officials stated.

Initially, the parents spoke to the headmaster about the incident and then lodged a complaint with the police.

The Nimbarga police initiated a search for the accused teacher and subsequently detained him.

The authorities have filed a case under the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and other relevant sections under the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

This recent incident has heightened concerns among the residents of the district, which has witnessed a surge in POCSO cases.

Data indicates that cases of assault on minors have tripled compared to those reported on women in the district over the past three years, according to police sources.

A case of gang assault on a 13-year-old girl reported in June had sparked protests and road closures in the area. The victim was discovered to be eight months pregnant during treatment. Sadly, she passed away in the hospital due to multiple organ failure. The girl was allegedly assaulted by the perpetrator for several months.

The Kalaburgi district is the hometown of Congress national President Mallikarjun Kharge and his son, Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge is also the district minister in charge. Additionally, Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil hails from Kalaburagi district.

The incident comes shortly after the assault and homicide of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College shook the nation.