The Hindu : Karnataka News : Girl complains of harassment in school run by math

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Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Girl complains of harassment in school run by math

Karnataka Bureau

Suraksha Samiti of the math denies charges, dubs it a conspiracy

Bangalore/Shimoga: A human rights forum based in Sagar of Shimoga district has appealed to the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission and the National Women’s Commission to probe the alleged case of sexual harassment of a minor girl in the residential school run on the premises of Ramachandrapura Math in Hosanagar taluk.

Manava Hakku Vedike, Sagar, alleged that one of the teachers had harassed the girl.

The math authorities, it said, was protecting and promoting the accused. In the first information report (FIR) filed at Hosanagar in December 2009, the girl, who is now 18, said she was harassed by a teacher of the school while she was studying there in 2004-05. The girl alleged that she was threatened of dire consequences if she reported the matter to the authorities. The complainant stated that she subsequently left the school unable to bear the harassment. The girl said her parents had brought these sexual harassment episodes to the attention of the seer of the math, Raghaveshwara Tirtha, who had promised to take action against the teacher, but eventually only promoted him.

It was said that there was delay in filing a police complaint because the girl and her family waited, hoping that the math authorities would take action as promised. Speaking to The Hindu, Veena Hegde, mother of the complainant, and Indira Mohan Hegde, a family friend, alleged that they were facing threats from the Suraksha Samiti (protection committee) which wants to prevent them from speaking against the math and its authorities. However, U.H. Ramappa, chairman of the Suraksha Samiti of Ramachandrapura Math, denied allegations of sexual harassment and threats to the family of the girl. Speaking to this correspondent, he said that delay in filing the complaint led to suspicion that it was part of a conspiracy against the math and its seer by certain groups.

He said that a demonstration had been planned at Sagar on Tuesday against the systematic campaign, and added that seers of Pejawar Math and Keladi Rajaguru Math, besides political leaders, were expected to participate in the protest.

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