(Trigger warning: Mentions of caste-based violence, child abuse)
The principal and a teacher of a residential school in Karnataka's Kolar district were arrested on Sunday, 17 December, after they allegedly forced a group of Dalit students to clean a septic tank as 'punishment'.
The incident came to light earlier on 17 December, after a video shot by a teacher of the school – which reportedly showed the students cleaning the tank – went viral on social media.
What happened? The video purportedly showed six to seven students of the Morarji Desai Residential School in Kolar's Malur Taluk cleaning the septic tank with their hands as 'punishment'. The students were studying in Classes 7 to 9.
And then? The Karnataka government suspended principal Bharathamma, two teachers Muniyappa and Abhishek, and a hostel warden Manjunath on the grounds of negligence, Hindustan Times reported.
A case has been registered against them – and Bharathamma and Muniyappa were arrested by Malur Police on Sunday night.
What did the government say? "A responsible organisation can't employ children for such work. It is highly condemnable. As soon as I came to know about this, I called the principal and suspended the principal, warden and other officials," Karnataka Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa said in an order on Sunday, reported HT.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, ordered a detailed investigation into the incident. "I have come to know about the incident and I have sought a report. Will take strict action based on the report," he said, as per the publication.
On Monday, 18 December, apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in a letter addressed to the Kolar Deputy Commissioner, expressed concern over the incident and sought an action-taken report within three days.
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