64-year-old man held for molesting minors in school in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Anekal Police have arrested a 64-year-old man on charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly molesting minor girls in a government school.

The accused has been identified as Krishnamurthy, alias Kitty, a resident of Weavers' Colony on Bannerghatta Road; he was selling pens for his livelihood.

A senior police officer said that a school teacher filed a case on Friday after minors revealed Krishnamurthy's misbehaviour to their parents. The school authorities were then alerted, and the teacher noticed the suspicious behaviour of the suspect before approaching the police. Krishnamurthy had been coming to the school premises for the past few months to sell pens and allegedly targeted minor girls on multiple occasions, touching them inappropriately.

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and handed over to judicial custody after a thorough interrogation, a senior police officer said.

Speaking to DH, the complainant said: "A week ago, he came to the school to distribute calendars, and I warned him not to roam around inside the school premises. Later, a group of students complained about his misbehaviour, and then I filed a case with the Anekal police. There are no CCTV cameras around the area, and we have come to know that Krishnamurthy molested more than eight girls, and he used to lure them with chocolates during the incidents. So far, four girls have narrated the incidents and we have alerted all the staff to keep an eye out to prevent such incidents on the school premises."