Karnataka HC refuses to quash case against teachers

BENGALURU: Refusing to quash criminal proceedings against two teachers for allegedly driving a 15-year-old girl to suicide by spreading rumours among her fellow students that she was talking to a boy and threatening her with making public an alleged video of kissing him, the Karnataka High Court said a need has arisen for all pedagogues to ponder over the manner in which they want to enforce discipline among students.

The accused — drawing teacher Roopesha and physical training teacher Sadananda — were working at a high school in Dharmasthala police limits in Dakshina Kannada district. They have been booked under provisions of the IPC, Pocso Act and Juvenile Justice Act based on a complaint filed by the victim’s mother.

Justice M Nagaprasanna on Friday rejected their petition challenging the proceedings. “A perusal of the complaint or the statement of the victim just before her death shocks the conscience of the court, and as to what discipline the petitioners wanted to inculcate is indeed a mystery. All these problems sprung, in the considered view of the court, due to the parochial and myopic mindset of the petitioners… If only the teachers had dealt with the child in a manner appropriate, the precious life of the child would not have been lost”, the court said.