Dharwad, Aug 18 (IANS): A FIR has been lodged against the principal, college president and a lecturer of a private college for sexually exploiting girl students in Dharwad city of Karnataka, police said on Thursday.

The case has been registered under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The police have arrested the principal and the lecturer and launched a manhunt for the absconding college president.

According to the police, the accused persons sexually exploited two girl students over a period of time by making them various offers. The victims have been sent for medical examination.

The matter came to light after the girls lodged a police complaint against the accused persons. They said that the accused raped them on the pretext of taking them to places like hospitals, temples.

The police investigation revealed that the accused had sexually harassed more than 10 girl students of the college. The accused had been sexually exploiting the two girls who lodged the complaint for the last 4 years.

The police probe has also revealed that the accused used to visit the victims in their hostel rooms and stayed there till midnight.

The Dharwad Upanagar police are investigating the case.