A teacher identified as Rajshekhar, employed at K.E. Board’s Vidyaranya School in Dharwad, Karnataka, has been accused of taking approximately 80 grams of gold jewellery, worth around ₹12 lakh, from a Class 10 student, allegedly assuring the boy that the gold would be returned later and that he was facing financial difficulties.
The matter came to light after the student’s family discovered the jewellery missing and confronted the boy, following which the family filed a police complaint at the Suburban Police Station in Dharwad. The student subsequently consumed poison in an apparent suicide attempt and is currently recovering in hospital.
In a significant institutional response, the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) in Dharwad issued an official notice to the Chairman and Secretary of the K.E. Board educational institution, signalling that disciplinary proceedings against the accused teacher are underway. Meanwhile, Rajshekhar has denied the allegations of taking gold jewellery, reportedly admitting to having accepted some money from the student while refuting claims that he received any gold ornaments.
How a Student’s Trust Was Turned Into a Transaction
At the heart of this troubling case is a young boy preparing for one of the most consequential examinations of his school life, the SSLC board exams, conducted by the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) for Class 10 students.
According to the complaint, the teacher allegedly informed the student that he was facing financial difficulties and sought monetary assistance, reportedly assuring the boy that the money or gold would be returned later. Trusting his teacher, the student allegedly took approximately 80 grams of gold jewellery from his home in the absence of his family members and handed it over.
Whether the teacher specifically promised a leaked SSLC question paper or merely offered to help the student pass, accounts vary slightly between reports. The core allegation remains the same: a figure of authority exploited a young student’s fear of failure for personal gain.
The matter came to light only after the student’s parents noticed the jewellery missing and questioned him about it. Sources indicate that the student was under severe mental stress following the incident; his parents approached the school management demanding strict action, before ultimately filing a formal police complaint.
The student’s subsequent suicide attempt by consuming poison has added urgency and gravity to what might otherwise have been treated as a routine complaint. The boy is currently recovering in hospital.
DDPI Issues Notice, Police Launch Probe
The incident has now drawn the attention of both law enforcement and the education department. The Suburban Police Station in Dharwad has registered a case and initiated a formal inquiry. On the administrative front, the student’s mother, Sarojini Shivanand Karaki, filed a complaint with the education department, which was taken seriously by the DDPI, who issued an official notice to the K.E. Board’s Chairman and Secretary.
The education department is reported to be considering disciplinary action against the teacher. Rajshekhar, for his part, has denied taking any gold, though he reportedly conceded that he did accept some money from the student, a partial admission that investigators are likely to examine closely. Authorities have indicated that a thorough investigation is under way and that the facts will be established in due course.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This incident from Dharwad is a reminder that the examination system in India, while designed to assess learning, has become a pressure that leaves students and their families vulnerable to exploitation. When a child trusts a teacher enough to steal from his own home out of fear of failing an exam, something has gone terribly wrong: not just with one individual’s ethics, but with the culture that breeds such desperation in the first place.
The teacher, as per the allegations, did not coerce the boy through threats, he simply presented himself as a lifeline, and a terrified student grabbed it. That is the cruelest part of this story. Equally important is the institutional response: the DDPI’s swift issuance of a notice to the school management is a step in the right direction, and must be followed by transparent accountability, not quiet resolutions behind closed doors.
Schools must have clear mechanisms for students and parents to raise concerns without fear of retaliation, and mental health support for students must not remain an afterthought.
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