Bangalore rape: State to set up task force to ensure safety of students in schools

Bangalore: In the wake of recurring incidents of sexual assault on minor girls in schools, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said a task force will be constituted to coordinate between managements and parents.

"A task force will be constituted in a day or two. It will hold regular meetings with managements (of schools) and parents," Siddaramaiah, whose government has come under the line of fire over the incidents, told reporters in Bangalore.

He said the task force will consist of representatives from women and child welfare department, police and education department.

Rejecting opposition's criticism about law and order failure in the state, he said "...we are dealing with things very firmly."

In the recent incident, a six-year-old girl student was allegedly sexually assaulted twice in the school premises on October 28 and 29 in Bengaluru. Hindi teacher Jayashankar was arrested on Friday after "admitting" to the crime while the Principal and Director of the school were taken into custody yesterday under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others).

After sexual assaults of minor girls in schools in the city, Bengaluru police had recently come out with safety guidelines to be observed to ensure safety of children in educational institutions.

Amid public outrage over sexual assaults on minor girls, Siddaramaiah had yesterday warned managements that permission granted to their schools would be revoked and criminal cases filed against them if they violate guidelines for safety of children.

"Sexual assaults on minor girls have made the civil society hang its head in shame. Even beasts don't behave like this. It is inhuman and condemnable," he had said as public anger grew over the latest sexual assault in the fourth such incident in as many months in schools.

The latest incident comes just five days after an office assistant in a school at Bengaluru was arrested for sexual assault of a three-and-a-half-year girl studying in nursery.

An eight-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by her 63-year-old teacher inside her school premises over a period of time. The offence came to light in early August, barely a month after the rape of a six-year-old girl at 'Vibgyor High' school in Bengaluru which led to street protests.