Bengaluru: Parents assault teacher accused of molesting child, clash with cops

A mob ransacked a private school, set many vehicles on fire and took to stone throwing while venting their anger against the molestation of a 7-year-old girl by a teacher at the school located in Hosaguddadahalli, off Mysore Road, on Wednesday.

While some policemen and civilians were injured in the stone-throwing, over half-a-dozen vehicles were damaged in the arson. When the situation turned volatile, the police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob.

After learning that a physical education instructor at the Venkateshwara School had molested a girl student, a huge crowd comprising of parents and local residents gathered in front of the school. They urged the school administration to hand over the accused teacher, Krishna, to their custody.

As the jurisdictional Byataryanapura police rushed to the spot and were taking Krishna to the police station for interrogation, the crowd started attacking him. They dragged him from the escorting cops, thrashed him black and blue and tore his clothes. The police rescued him from the attackers and whisked him away in a vehicle.

Though the situation turned normal towards late afternoon, miscreants again resorted to stone pelting when a peace meeting was being held under the leadership of the local MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan. A sub-inspector attached to the Upparpet police station was injured after being hit by a stone on the face, the police said.

Top police officials, including Police Chief MN Reddi and Additional Commissioner (Law and Order) Alok Kumar rushed to the spot to  take the stock of the situation.

"We have arrested some people for attacking police officials and vandalizing public property. And appropriate action would be taken on them,"said Alok Kumar.

Police chief MN Reddi asking public to maintain clam, said "there should be no instant justice and people should let the law to take its own course."

The police have heightened the security in the area and senior officers are monitoring the situation.

Bengaluru which had been rocked by a series of sexual assaults in schools last year had seen massive protests from the public, which led to tightening of guidelines to ensure safety of children at schools.