Bengaluru police, with no proof from investigation, canceled complaints on a headmaster who had a complaint filed on him by an NGO on January 25 for allegedly harassing students. The accused is reportedly absconding.
According to the Bangalore Mirror report, the police claim no actual complainant involving the plaint was filed against the 57-year-old headmaster ‘due to an internal dispute’. They also said that no student that accused him of misdemeanor came forward.
Police investigating the case said, “It seems to be internal politics at work. Hebbar has applied for VRS, and is on leave for last six months. We don’t have any specific complaint against him by a student. We will do a silent inquiry.”
However, the state vice president of Janawadi Mahila Sangatane Gowramma said that the cops have not even started the investigation. The parents were instead told that filing plaints would hurt their own reputation. The NGO also claims to have a video and written statement of more than 20 students, reported BM.
Gowramma said, “It has been a year since we started receiving complaints against the headmaster of the school, Mahabaleswara Hebbar. He was being warned by the local leaders in the area for misbehaving with the girls in the school. Finally, we learn that Hebbar has threatened some of the students and applied for VRS after we lodged a complaint against him with Ramamurthynagar police station. Police are yet to begin the investigation and arrest him. When we contacted them, they said Hebbar was at large.”
According to the NGO’s complaint, Hebbar of the Government High School in Ramamurthy Nagar , allegedly harassed girls between grades six and eight and touched them inappropriately, and threatened them if they told anyone. A few local leaders warned Hebbar following complaints from a few parents. Even the block education officer was informed. However, no action was taken as no students filed a complaint, reported BM.
Gowramma said that many students did not tell their parents fearing they would stop sending them to school. Even a teacher who was against this harassment of students, was transferred.
This is an aggregated report from Bangalore Mirror.