The case of the recent sexual assault on a six-year-old Class I student from Odisha by two gym instructors in a premier Bangalore school rocked the State Assembly during the Zero Hour on Monday.
Raising the issue, Congress member Naba Das demanded a ruling from the Speaker directing Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to speak to his Karnataka counterpart on the issue.
Congress member Prafulla Majhi demanded that a Secretary-level officer of Odisha be sent to Bangalore for fact-finding and report back to the House in the matter.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Bikram Keshari Arukh informed the House, “The State Government has taken up the issue with seriousness. The State Home Secretary has spoken to his Karnataka counterpart and is in touch with the Odia association in Bangalore while putting pressure on the Karnataka Government for immediate action against the guilty.”
Meanwhile, sources said leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra has discussed the issue with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over phone and has been promised of tough action against the culprits.
The Bangalore police on Sunday finally arrested the accused skating instructor, a paedophile, Mustafa alias Munna (30) for the alleged rape of the girl.
The Bangalore police have said Mustafa had allegedly tried to subject at least four other children to sexual abuse in the last three years. He was also using photos and videos of his victims for pornographic purpose.
The Odisha victim’s father had lodged a complaint on July 14 that his daughter had been sexually assaulted by the two teachers.
There was public outrage when many schools in Bangalore declared that they can’t be held responsible for the safety of students. The schools had asked parents to sign a form that the school’s staff or teachers can’t be held responsible for “damage to loss of property, sickness or injury from ‘whatever source’, legal entanglements, loss of life or money”.