BENGALURU: An awareness programme on sexual abuse organised at a school in Kavalbyrasandra helped a 14-year-old girl reveal the trauma she had faced at the hands of her mathematics teacher.
Based on the girl’s statement, school principal Prakash filed a complaint at the DJ Halli police station. The teacher, 57-year-old Devaraj, was arrested on Thursday evening, police said.
The Incident
According to the girl’s complaint, Devaraj had molested her in a classroom in March. “During the examinations, the girl had approached the teacher with some doubts and was molested at the time,” a police official said.
In light of the recent incidents of sexual assaults on schoolchildren, the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) had conducted an awareness programme at a government-aided school in Kavalbyrasandra.
During the programme, students were asked to report incidents, if any, that they had experienced. After the session, the girl approached some of the members and reported her ordeal to them.
A team from the DWCD visited the school soon after the girl complained and conducted an enquiry.
“Once it was established that there was truth in what the student was saying, the school principal was informed. He, in turn, called the block education officer who directed him to inform the police immediately,” a police official said.
Devaraj Arrested
On Thursday morning, Prakash visited the DJ Halli police station and reported the incident.
An FIR was filed against Devaraj and on Thursday evening, he was arrested by the police. Devaraj, who has been teaching at the school for the last 32 years, claimed he had done nothing wrong, police said.
They said Devaraj, who taught English and Mathematics to middle and high school students and other subjects to the lower classes, was suspended by the principal soon after he was informed of the enquiry report by the DWCD.