BENGALURU: A 49-year-old physical education teacher, against whom a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case had been registered, allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the third floor of the Bengaluru South District Superintendent of Police (SP) office building on Sunday morning.
The deceased was Shashidhar Sangma (49), a native of Vijayanagar district. He had been working as a physical education teacher at an aided high school in Channapatna taluk. According to the police, a POCSO case was registered against Shashidhar at the Women’s Police Station on Saturday based on allegations that he had sexually abused five schoolchildren. The police subsequently arrested him.
On Sunday morning, after conducting a medical examination, he was brought to the SP office to record his fingerprints and iris scan as part of the investigation. At around 11 am, he allegedly escaped from the police, ran out of the room and jumped from the third floor of the building, the police said, adding that he was immediately rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead.
Meanwhile, his family members alleged that he took the extreme step following false allegations made by the school management.
HELPLINE
Having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need support? Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (24x7) or Call, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline - 02225521111, (Mon-Sat- 8 am-10 pm)