Class 9 student of govt residential school in Karnataka delivers baby; police registers POCSO case

NEW DELHI: A class 9 student of a government residential school was eight months pregnant when she gave birth to a baby boy at a hospital here, police said on Thursday, following which a case of rape under the IPC and POCSO has been registered. The 14-year-old girl was staying at the hostel of a government residential school in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.

The matter came to light when she came to her house in Bagepalli taluk of Chikkaballapura district and complained of stomach pain. Her parents took her to a hospital where after scanning, the doctors found that she was pregnant, police said. The girl was admitted to the hospital and after a medical check-up and necessary tests, the doctors performed the delivery on January 9. The girl was underweight but she and the baby are stated to be stable, a senior police officer said.

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The hospital authorities informed the police which then registered a case under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant section of the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act, he said. The girl has been counselled by the Child Welfare Committee. During counselling, she told them that she was impregnated by a minor boy who is her school senior but during questioning, the boy denied it, the officer said.

"We have registered a case in the matter but have not made any arrest in connection with the incident yet. The girl and her parents are not opening up. They are being counselled. The girl is not consistent with her statements. She also mentioned the name of another boy, again a school senior. So, we are questioning all of them to find out who was responsible," the officer said. Meanwhile, the Tumakuru district administration has suspended the hostel warden, the officials said.