R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala (SP)
Karkala, Aug 6: A letter faxed to chief minister Siddaramaiah resulted in the detaining of a school headmaster over allegations of 'sexual harassment' on the night of Tuesday August 5.
It is said that on the basis of a letter received from the office of Karnataka chief minister on Tuesday, the office of the superintendent of police, Mangalore, shot off a letter to the station house officer of rural police station here.
Based on this letter, the police took Rithesh Shetty, headmaster of government high school, Sooda, Pernal into custody for questioning. It is reliably learnt that Shetty was questioned over allegations that he was physically abusing students in the name of punishment.
It is said that two persons identified as Shibani and Prem faxed a letter to the office of the chief minister alleging that Rithesh Shetty had been sexually abusing students in the school. The CM took serious note of the matter and sent a letter addressed to the superintendent of police, seeking action against the headmaster.
On Wednesday August 6, police personnel visited the school and made inquiries with the students about the conduct of the teacher, it is said.
Strangely though, the persons who wrote to the CM, Shibani and Prem, remained unknown and police could not locate them. As the case did not hold water, the police later released Rithesh after he furnished a bond.
Speaking to reporters, inspector K M Mahadeva Shetty said that no one has come forward to register a formal complaint against Rithesh Shetty, and neither is he accused in any other case.