Headmaster arrested for 'molesting' student in Odisha school

The accused, who had fled the area, was nabbed from one of his relative's house in neighbouring West Bengal on Saturday, the officer added. The accused had allegedly called the victim, aged around 10, to the school's office room and molested her.

The headmaster of a government-run school in Odisha's Balasore district was arrested on Saturday for allegedly molesting a girl student in the educational institute, police said. The incident took place in an upper primary school in Singla police station area on Friday, an officer said.

Though the school was closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the accused was in the educational institute for some work while the victim had gone there to fetch water from a tube well inside the premises, he said. The accused had allegedly called the victim, aged around 10, to the school's office room and molested her. He had even threatened the girl of removing her from the school if she told anyone about the incident, the officer said.

Nevertheless, the victim narrated the incident to her mother and subsequently, her father lodged an FIR with the Singla police station on Friday, he said. The accused, who had fled the area, was nabbed from one of his relative's house in neighboring West Bengal on Saturday, the officer added.