Driver molests schoolgirl

Gets thrashed by victims brother, his friends

Raju (20) from Mandya district has been arrested based on a complaint filed by the victim’s brother, an engineering student. The girl’s father is a head constable.

The school had arranged special classes on February 4 as the government had declared a holiday for the Kannada literary meet. The victim was one of the 15 students who attended the classes.

There are different versions of what happened after the classes. Raju was waiting in a car near the school gate around 3 pm. The girl initially refused to go in Raju’s car saying her brother would take her home, but later agreed as the driver requested her. Her house is hardly a 20-minute drive from the school, but Raju reportedly took nearly 50 minutes to drop her.

Differing version

According to another version, which the police confirmed, Raju was friendly with the girl and he regularly ferried her family members in his car. On Friday, she voluntarily went with him in the car when he approached her near the school. The two spent some time in a park before Raju dropped her back home.

The next day, he called her on the phone and forced her to come to school, but the girl did not agree. Again when he called her several times, she told her father about it.
A furious brother of the victim and some of his friends went to Corporation Ground in Jayanagar and attacked Raju. A few local residents too joined them. Raju sustained injuries on his face and head.

The school authorities denied the car belonged to them. “The incident did not occur on our school premises or in the school van. It was not our vehicle. It happened in a private car belonging to the owner of the private van hired by parents to drop their children,” said the headmistress. She said the schoolgirls had been cautioned not to travel alone in any vehicle.

Tilaknagar police have booked a case and are questioning Raju.

Case against hospital

A case has been registered at the High Grounds police station by Muniraju, an electrical engineer from Shantinagar, against Mallige Hospital. He alleged that his wife, Shailaja, who was in coma at the hospital since November 2009, was shifted to M S Ramaiah Hospital without his permission on Saturday. Shailaja had slipped into coma during an operation to treat back pain.

Homemaker kills self

Shwetha, a homemaker was found hanging at her house in Mathikere on Monday.
A native of Kadur, Shwetha was married to Umashankar from Hosadurga three years ago. Umashankar, an alcoholic frequented pubs with Shwetha. Upset with this, she is alleged to have taken her life, said Yeshwanthpur police. However, in his complaint Thippeshappa, the victim’s father, has accused Umashankar of harassing his daughter for dowry.  Umashankar has been arrested.

HC forms inquiry committee

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday constituted a committee headed by the Joint Director, Department of Technical Education, to look into the allegations of sexual harassment by the principal of the Government Women’s Polytechnic College.

A woman lecturer had complained of sexual harassment in July 2010 and she approached the High Court since no action was taken on her complaint. A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar disposed of the matter with a direction to form a committee and to file a report in three months. Manjunath, Deputy Director of Technical Education, who appeared before the court, stated that strict action would be initiated against the person found guilty.