The 48-year-old hostel warden of a private residential international academy near Electronics City, Bengaluru, has been arrested for allegedly abetting the repeated sexual assault of a Class 10 student by six senior students over four consecutive nights in early September. The student’s father filed a police complaint after his son reported the abuse, which included forced nudity, dancing, physical assaults with objects, and sexual abuse.
Six students from Classes 10, 11, and 12 have been booked under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The school principal is also under police investigation. Police have ordered the accused students to remain confined to their hostel rooms as the inquiry continues, while the warden has been sent to judicial custody.
Harrowing Ordeal and Police Investigations
The victim, a 15-year-old who joined the school earlier this year, was allegedly targeted after he helped fellow students report the warden’s misbehaviour. According to the complaint, senior students forced the boy to strip and dance naked in his hostel room on the night of September 3. When he refused to continue dancing, the students assaulted him using steel hangers and other objects.
The abuse escalated the following night with the boy again forced to dance naked and then sexually assaulted. On September 5 and 6, the harassment involved pouring hot and cold water over him and continued physical and emotional torment. Police have registered cases against six students-three from Class 12, one from Class 11, and two from Class 10-as well as the warden and principal.
Bengaluru Rural Superintendent of Police CK Baba confirmed the FIR filed under POCSO and Juvenile Justice acts, and noted that accused students are restricted to hostel rooms under police supervision pending further inquiry.
School’s Response and Wider Context
The school administration publicly acknowledged the FIR under POCSO and reiterated its commitment to student safety and wellbeing. They assured full cooperation with the ongoing police investigations while urging media and public sensitivity to protect the privacy and dignity of those involved. The principal has yet to be questioned but remains under suspicion.
This incident has intensified concerns over the safety and accountability mechanisms in residential schools across Bengaluru, highlighting the urgent requirement for strengthened anti-ragging policies and transparent complaint processes. Experts and activists argue that systemic changes are imperative to prevent such abuse and to ensure swift justice and support for victims in elite educational institutions.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This deeply troubling case reveals the vulnerabilities students face when entrusted to residential institutions without adequate safeguards. Beyond punishing perpetrators, there is an urgent need to cultivate environments where children feel safe, respected, and empowered to voice concerns without fear of retribution.
Educational institutions must adopt empathetic, transparent, and proactive measures to prevent abuse and foster positive cultures of coexistence and care. The Logical Indian advocates for collective social and institutional responsibility in upholding every child’s dignity and safety.
