Vice-principal held in Pune for molesting minor

Accused remanded in police custody

The police on Tuesday arrested the vice-principal of an elite school in Pune’s Yerawada area for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old girl. The accused, Eju Francis Falkau (58), has been remanded to police custody till January 25 by the local magistrate.

The alleged molestation of the standard 10 girl came to light when the victim’s parents approached counsellors to ascertain the reason behind the minor’s acute depression.
Yerawada police told the court that during the counselling session, the girl disclosed that the vice-principal had apparently fondled her in his cabin on January 2 after school hours.

The counsellors reported the matter to the social workers in the area who in turn asked the police to investigate. Local media said, after the news trickled out, several local leaders gathered near the school that was started to serve and educate the poorer sections of Pune three decades ago.

According to the local media, over the past decade, the locality has turned into one of the swankiest in Pune and the school is now one of the most sought after by the elites residing in the area. Police suspect that the accused is “a habitual child molester”, and probably had made sexual advances towards several girl students in the past.