A horrifying tale of child sexual abuse has come to light in Karnataka’s Kalaburgi district after the Superintendent of a state-run Balamandira (orphanage) accused a teacher of sexually assaulting minor girls.

The SP of the Balamandira walked into the Kalaburgi Town Women’s Police Station on Friday and filed a complaint against 51-year-old Basavaraj, a physical education teacher, at the government high school.

The SP alleged that Basavaraj has sexually assaulted four girls who were living in the orphanage because he knew they had no families to back them up.

According to the police, a few weeks ago, Basavaraj allegedly targeted one of the girls studying in Class 10, took her into a room in the school and sexually assaulted her. Horrified and scared, the girl did not speak about it to anyone immediately after the incident.

However, on Friday, when she confided in her friends living in the orphanage with her, the three other girls also confessed to facing similar harassment from Basavaraj.

“The girls immediately went to the SP of their hostel and told her what Basavaraj had done. She immediately contacted the Child Protection Officer and upon his advice, she approached the Kalaburgi Women’s Police Station and filed a complaint,” the police added.

Basavaraj was arrested on Friday night and produced before the magistrate on Saturday. He has been remanded to judicial custody after being booked under relevant sections of the POCSO Act.

“Yesterday (Friday), we received a complaint that four orphan girls were sexually abused and molested. We have arrested Basavaraj. The due course of law will follow in the investigation," Kalaburgi SP Shashi Kumar added.

The SP also indicated that Basavaraj may have targeted more girls who were living in the orphanage because they did not have parents to support them.

“He has also been booked under relevant sections of the SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. We believe there was caste discrimination also. He had assumed he could continue to abuse the girls because they were vulnerable,” a police officer said.