Principal Francis Fernandez was popular among students, and he allegedly took advantage of his popularity to abuse the 17-year-old girl.
Video grab of the police escorting the arrested principal Francis Fernandez away. (Video grab)
The principal of a privately-run pre-university college in Shivamogga was arrested for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl student sexually and hurling casteist slurs at her, the police said.
Identifying the principal as Francis Fernandez, a 48-year-old priest, the Kote police said the incident came to light after the girl attempted to die by suicide in her hostel room. The girl belonged to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community. The police said the accused was arrested on Thursday, 20 July.
The girl’s family complained that the principal took advantage of his popularity among students to trap the survivor. She attempted to end her life on Wednesday, 19 July, by slashing her wrist but other residents in the hostel intervened.
She revealed her ordeal while in hospital. The girl is now out of danger.
On receiving the complaint from the girl’s relatives, the police arrested the principal and booked him under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and Schedule Caste and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He allegedly hurled casteist slurs when the girl complained about the reported lewd acts.
The accused was produced in a court on Friday, 21 July, and remanded in judicial custody. The police said they were probing whether the principal was involved in similar incidents earlier.
“The accused has been booked under Section 3 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and sections 8 and 12 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” Deputy Superintendent of Police in Shivamogga Balaraju said.
The incident turned political after a group of BJP workers staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Shivamogga on Friday.
They shouted slogans against the accused and also submitted a memorandum to the district administration calling for stringent action against the accused.
Members of the girl’s community also joined the BJP workers.
In another incident, the principal of Moraji Desai Residential School at Hallikhed in Humnabad taluk in Bidar district was booked after around 20 girl students accused him of sexually harassing them.
The police were alerted after the students submitted a written complaint to the Social Welfare Department. They informed the district administration, which forwarded the complaint to the police.
The deputy commissioner formed a team of five women officers to probe the complaint and submit a report. The principal, Nagashetty Kulkarni, was booked on Friday, 21 July, under the POCSO Act based on the team’s report.
Police sources said the principal allegedly abused the girls after asking them to clean their hostel rooms ahead of another student’s birthday.
Kulkarni has denied the students’ charge, saying a conspiracy has been hatched against him.
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