Bangalore: School principal borrows girls' pillows, dances drunk

Bangalore, Jun 29: Mallikarjun Swamy, 52, principal of Kittur Rani Chennamma Residential School in Yellammana Palya, Anekal taluk, Bangalore Urban district, allegedly suffers from a perversity. He can't sleep till he rests his head on a pillow borrowed from a girl student.

The principal has other outrageous traits too. After a few pegs, Swamy and his aide Karthik would break into dance in the corridors of the girls' hostel before retiring for the night. The girls' school simmered with discontent as most students, their parents and staffers were upset over the principal's behaviour. He allegedly harassed the girls to part with their pillows, bedspreads and blankets, saying they helped him dream.

Swamy reported to work in May. In just a month, resentment had built up over his alleged actions. On June 20, the parent of a girl student filed a complaint with Anekal police, accusing Mallikarjun Swamy and Karthik of misbehaving with his ward. News of the duo's odd behaviour spread and locals pressured police to take action. Anekal police summoned Karthik and warned him.

On Thursday, things turned serious as TV channels beamed footage of Swamy and others consuming alcohol inside the hostel premises and dancing with abandon. Anekal police arrested Swamy and Karthik. Investigating officials claimed that Swamy's mobile phone had photos of several girl students.

Bangalore Rural SP Ramesh Banoth said they would speak with parents and students to know more about the accused.

According to parents, Swamy didn't have a good relationship with either the students or parents. "My daughter called me in the first week of June, saying the principal behaves strangely with girls. She told me 'he borrows bedspreads and pillows from the girls and clicks our photos on his mobile," a high school student's father said.

The mother of another girl alleged that Swamy chided her daughter without reason. "One day, he borrowed her pillow, saying he gets 'romantic dreams' if he sleeps on it," she said.

"He often drinks in the evening and loiters near our rooms. Earlier, we enjoyed our evenings sitting in the verandah and reading. Now we lock ourselves up," a student said.

School staffers confirmed the principal has been a nuisance. "Nothing good is happening here. Most of us are on contract and those who raise their voices face pay cuts," a staffer said. Swamy stayed in Yellammana Palya with his wife and college going daughter. Police invoked sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012.