School girl rape case: Principal held for 'hushing up' matter

Ten days after a class 1 student of a city-based Central school was allegedly raped by her three senior classmates, its principal has been arrested for trying to "hush up" the matter, police said on Saturday.

The alleged incident occurred on August 20 in the bathroom of the school located in Khamtarai police station limits in the Chhattisgarh capital, an official said.

"Kendriya Vidyalaya principal B S Ahire was arrested by Khamtarai police on Friday for allegedly not reporting the rape incident to police or any other competent authority even after he came to know about it," Khamtarai police station SHO Ramakant Sahu told PTI.

After the parents of the girl approached police on Thursday, the three students were booked under section 4 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 354 A (Sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

They have been sent to a juvenile home, the SHO added.

Meanwhile, on the role of the principal, Sahu said he allegedly did not inform such a serious crime either to police or to the child welfare committee or magistrate, and tried to investigate the case himself.

"The entire act falls in the category of an attempt to hush up the incident. The principal has been booked under section 21 of thePOCSO Actand relevant sections of the IPC," the SHO said.

Ahire was produced in a local court on Friday evening which released him on bail.

"The girl had narrated the incident to her parents after returning home from the school, following which they raised the matter with school administration. However, when the authorities failed to take any action, the parents approached police on August 22," said Sahu.