Bengaluru school officials held for girl's death

Bengaluru :The chairman and director of a school in which a teenage girl was shot dead were arrested on Thursday for failing to comply with safety regulations, police said. Both were released on bail later.

"We have arrested Pragathi School & PU College chairman Som Singh and director Prashanth for flouting safety norms and negligence," a police officer told reporters. Though both were released on bail, they will be questioned, he added.

 

School attendant Mahesh, 41, had allegedly shot dead Gauthami, 17, in her hostel room in the school premises on Tuesday night and fled. He was nabbed on Wednesday and has been sent to two weeks judicial custody.

 

The accused also fired at Gauthami's roommate Shirisha, 16, leaving her with a injury on her right ear. She is recovering in a private



hospital.

 

During interrogation, Mahesh told the investigation team that he found the home-made revolver he had used near the K.R. Puram railway station, but police said they were "not convinced by his conflicting and incoherent replies on where from he got the pistol and reason for killing the girl".

 

Gauthami, who completed the two-year pre-university course, had stayed back in the hostel to prepare for entrance tests for higher studies.

 

Meanwhile, a massive protest demonstration was held at the school by hundreds of its students, parents and civic activists, demanding stringent action against the management.

 

The incident occurred a few months after three young girls in two private schools across the city were allegedly sexually abused by their teachers or physical training instructors, provoking statewide outrage.