School trust member held for norms violation

The Jalahalli police on Friday arrested K R K Reddy, general secretary of Goutham Academy of General and Technical Education Society, for running Orchids The International School without proper certification.

The Department of Public Instruction had filed a complaint with the Jalahalli police against the school on Thursday.

As the investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of a three-year-old child intensifies, the police, simultaneously probing the sexual abuse case as well as cheating by the school, have begun questioning the staff, including van drivers.

The police have so far questioned 77 teaching staff at the school, including three male teachers. The team probing the case has also recorded the statement of 37 non-teaching staff, including 11 male staff.

The Jalahalli police had registered the case (115/2014) under Sections 18(5) of The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 and Sections 418 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. The complaint was filed by H B Manjunath, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Department of Education, stating that the office-bearers of the trust were running the school at Jalahalli by flouting rules.

The complaint also says that the school was illegally running a CBSE English medium school and cheated the public, parents and particularly more than 900 children, without any recognition from either the State government or the Centre.

The FIR has also named the president of the trust, K Durga, vice-president Y Shilpa, and joint secretary U  Surendra Babu. The school was running under the trust named Goutham Academy of General and Technical Education Society. Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi said the other accused named in the case against the trust will be summoned for interrogation.

“As per the complainant, it was found on inspection that the society had secured permission on March 25, 2013, from the government of Karnataka to run a primary school from Class 1 to 5 in Kannada medium. However, in reality, it was found to be running classes from pre-nursery to 7th standard CBSE English medium in gross violation and abuse of law without proper certification. The Trust has also collected huge money on the false promise claiming that it is a recognised school,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Hemanth Nimbalkar said.