Bengaluru, Feb 23: A day after three members of the management of a preschool in Bellandur were arrested and let out on bail, parents of six other students filed complaints of molestation.
On Friday, Marathahalli police had arrested Manjunath V, the school's office boy, after the parents of a three-and-a-half-year-old child lodged a complaint that he had sexually abused the child in school. Manjunath is still in judicial custody.
Since the first complaint, more parents have come out with similar complaints against the office boy. Alleging that the school knew about the abuse and used Manjunath to cause fear in order to discipline the children, parents are demanding that the school management be penalised as well.
Kripa Alva, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told TOI, "The parents' group of the preschool chain has suspended registration of the school. We are asking the police to name the school management as the second accused in this case."
"Manju Bhaiya was a name that was used whenever the children didn't behave or refused to eat. Children were sent to him for disciplinary action and he would continue his heinous acts against them, which makes the school management an equal culprit in the case," she added.
A parent who filed a complaint with the police said, "It is the duty of the principal and the management to undo the wrong. We need to be with our children at this time and ensure that they do not relive those moments."
The three management members of the Bellandur preschool, who were arrested on Tuesday night under section 188 of the IPC, were granted bail by the magistrate, said Hemanth Nimbalkar, additional commissioner of police (law and order), east. "The investigations have begun and the management members will be interrogated. Each of the seven cases will be treated as individual cases. If it is proved that the school management was negligent, we will book them under POCSO."
On Tuesday evening, parents met the commissioner of police to discuss the issue. One of the parents said, "The commissioner has assured us that he will look into the matter."
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