Principal arrested for raping 10-year-old student

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: A 10-year-old dyslexic girl studying in Class 2 was allegedly raped by the principal who is also the owner of the school in the city.

The police who took the accused principal into custody, booked him under the Pocso Act.

The accused was identified as Lambert Pushparaj, 65, owner and principal of a private school for specially-abled in Varthur Police Station limits. He was residing at a house adjacent to the school building.

Speaking to News Trail, sources from the police said that the incident took place on Thursday after the minor went to the school around 8:30 am.

"As per the complaint, around 11:30 pm the accused led the minor to his house which is adjacent to the school, where he sexually assaulted her. Later he offered her a cake and asked her not to reveal anything about it to her parents," an officer said.

The matter came to light when the minor returned to her mother around 3:30 pm complaining of stomach ache. Her mother was shocked when she found injuries on her private parts and immediately took her to a hospital.

Following this, the woman filed a complaint against the principal at Varthur Police Station. The police have recorded the statement of the minor and her mother which was done in presence of members of the Child Welfare Commission.

According to the police, prima facie the accused was involved in the rape and a team is investigating the entire sequence of the alleged incident

. The medical examination of the victim was carried out and prima facie points to rape, the police said. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield Division, S Girish confirmed the incident and said that the minor girl was suffering from dyslexia.

"We received an intimation from the hospital that such an incident had happened and we immediately went there. We enquired from the victim and her mother and learnt about the crime. We arrested the school principal Lambert Pushparaj on Thursday. He is currently in custody. Technical teams are on the job and we have collected necessary evidence," DCP Girish said.

It was revealed that the accused was the administrative director of the school and taught science to middle and high school students there. Cases under Sections 12, 4, 7, 8 and 6 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Sections 376 (2) (f), 376 (3), 506 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been registered against the accused.

The police said that the victim’s mother is a housewife and her father had passed away in 2020 due to health-related issues.