A boys’ hostel warden working at a private school on the outskirts of Hyderabad was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting minor students, by the Hayathnagar police of the Rachakonda Police Commissionerate. The accused, 35-year-old Murram Krishna, had been working at the hostel for the past month and had been living there along with the students, police said. The warden allegedly showed pornographic videos to students and threatened them. He allegedly slept next to students who were sleeping alone, touched them inappropriately and harassed them on a regular basis. 

A press statement from the Rachakonda police also said that the accused would allegedly enter the bathrooms when students were using them, and touch their private parts. The warden allegedly harassed seven minor students at the hostel and threatened them not to tell anyone about the harassment. However, some students spoke to their parents, who reported the warden, police said. 

The accused is a native of Chinturu mandal, which now falls under the Alluri Sitharama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh. He has been booked in seven different cases based on several complaints, under Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 9(f) (whoever being on the management or staff of an educational institution or religious institution, commits sexual assault on a child in that institution) and 11 (sexual harassment) read with Section 12, and Section 75 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

The Rachakonda police said they are organising awareness programmes in all schools and colleges, especially in hostels and primary schools, to talk to children about safe and unsafe touch. Police said that the victims of sexual harassment are being sent to a psychologist for counselling to overcome the agony faced by them.