Sexual assault: DPI team visits school, teacher suspended

Bengaluru: A day after a 16-year-old girl revealed that she was brutally sexually assaulted, officials from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) rushed to the school at Kavalbairasandra under DJ Halli police limits and held an inquiry.

The team has already submitted the report to the commissioner. The school has, meanwhile, suspended the teacher.

DPI sources said that the school was not following all the nine security measures issued by the department.

An officer told Deccan Chronicle that they are looking into various issues, especially those related to security, safety and recognition.

“There were complaints that the school was not complying with the nine-point security guidelines proposed by the DPI. We will send a detailed report to the DDPI and commissioner. They will look into these issues,” he said.

School principal Prakash said that the school filed the complaint against the accused teacher first.

“Even before the parents and student, we approached the police and informed them about the incident. The accused teacher, Devraj, who was working in the school for the last 32 years, has been arrested. We are cooperating with the police,” he said.

“The school was set up in 1968 and it is one of the oldest institutions in the city. There are no complaints related to recognition or school fee. It is one of the schools preferred by the middle-class.

As we ourselves brought the issue to the notice of the police, there is no question of initiating action against us,” he said.

Following the findings that the child narrated about sexual assault against her after an awareness programme on good and bad touch, the DPI is mulling the option of making awareness programmes mandatory in all schools.

“Awareness is key to fighting sexual assault cases on girl children in schools. We need to educate them about good and bad touch,” said a senior officer.