The incident occurred earlier this week when the girl went into labour during school hours. A 17-year-old student of a government-run residential school in Karnataka’s Shahapur taluk gave birth to a baby inside the institution’s toilet. The shocking incident prompted a police investigation. The incident took place earlier this week when the Class 9 student went into labour during school hours. Her classmates, who reportedly witnessed her in distress, immediately alerted the school administration.
Authorities then rushed the minor and her newborn to a nearby hospital. Both are said to be in stable condition. According to the FIR, the girl, aged 17 years and seven months, was full-term pregnant and had been “sexually assaulted” by an unidentified person about nine months ago. She used to stay in the hostel. Initially reluctant to share details due to the stress, she claimed she experienced severe stomach pain in the washroom and unexpectedly delivered the baby there.
28-year-old man arrested
Investigations later led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man, who has been identified as the accused in the case. A senior officer said the girl will be counselled once she recovers and is declared fit by doctors, to ascertain what happened and whether she knew the accused.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered based on a complaint by the District Child Protection Officer, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the accused.
Cases were also booked against four others, including the hostel warden, school principal, staff nurse and the victim’s brother, for failing to inform authorities about the girl’s pregnancy.
Action against school officials
Police also noted that the incident was not immediately reported by the school administration or even by the victim’s brother, who was informed soon after the delivery. The girl had reportedly been irregular in school since the beginning of the academic year, police further said.
Hostel warden Geeta Salimani has insisted that she had no knowledge of the pregnancy. “There were no visible signs,” said school principal Basamma Patil, who added that the student’s marital status was also unknown.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) suspended four employees of the school, including the principal and hostel warden, for alleged dereliction of duty and negligence in monitoring the students’ educational and health conditions.
