Mandya: Special Pocso court in Mandya has sentenced a former headmaster to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine for sexually abusing four minor girls staying at a govt hostel in Pandavapura taluk.The convict, Chinmayananda Murthy Y, was serving as headmaster of Katteri Government Higher Primary School and was also the in-charge officer of the RMSA Girls Hostel when the offences were committed, special public prosecutor (POCSO) M J Poornima said. He is currently working as a lecturer at DIET, Chamarajanagar.According to the prosecution, Murthy called hostel inmates to his office on Dec. 14, 2022, and on several earlier occasions, where he sexually abused them. He also allegedly showed them obscene photographs on his mobile phone and threatened to make adverse remarks in their transfer certificates if they disclosed the incidents.Based on a complaint, KRS police registered a case. Then PSI Ningaraju C M conducted the preliminary investigation, while circle inspector Puneeth TM carried out further investigation and filed the chargesheet before the court.Judge Manjula Itti of 1st additional district and sessions court (special Pocso), Mandya, found the accused guilty under sections 10, 11 and 12 of Pocso Act and section 506 of IPC. The court sentenced him to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fines under the relevant provisions, and directed him to pay compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the four victims, the prosecutor said.
