Police to charge sheet over 180 schools in Bengaluru

The action follows the Karnataka High Court’s decision to lift restrictions imposed on the police from filing charge sheets against schools for failing to adhere to safety norms The Bengaluru City police are all set to file charge sheets against over 180 schools that were earlier booked for failing to implement safety guidelines issued by the police following a rise in the number of cases of sexual assault on schoolchildren. The action follows the Karnataka High Court’s decision to lift restrictions imposed on the police from filing charge sheets against schools for failing to adhere to safety norms. “We will complete the investigations and file charge sheet against schools while we wait for the high-level committee to decide on the next course of action,” said Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). The earlier deadline to put in place safety guidelines in all schools in Bengaluru was September. This was later extended to October-end after the schools approached the court. However, for government schools, the deadline is November-end. Mr. Alok Kumar said the high-level panel, headed by Additional Chief Secretary V. Umesh, has 14 stakeholders, including the police, as members. A senior police officer, who is supervising the implementation of the safety guidelines issue, said there will not be any modification since the existing guidelines are good enough to ensure safety of schoolchildren. “We are conducting a survey of 6,000 schools in Bengaluru, including government and private, to prepare a status report on the implementation of safety guidelines. Those who have not adhered to the guidelines will be booked under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, punishable by up to six months of simple imprisonment),” the police official said. -The Hindu