Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS): The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) against a female teacher who pulled down the pants of a 5-year-old girl student in the class.

The single division bench headed by Justice M. Nagaprasanna gave the order on Thursday. According to police, the 41-year-old accused teacher worked in a private school. She had approached the Karnataka High Court seeking quashing of charges against her.

Based on the complaint by the parents of the child, Halasuru police in Bengaluru have been investigating the case. The accused teacher allegedly pulled the pants of a 5-year-old student studying in nursery class in front of other children and embarrassed her. The incident happened in 2017.

In the complaint, the parents charged that the accused teacher initially beat the child and later pulled down her pants in front of the class and made her stand before other students in that state. The accused teacher had also threatened the child that she would be locked up in a dark room where a ferocious dog was waiting for her.

The 5-year-old child narrated this to her parents, who lodged a criminal complaint against the teacher with Halasuru police in 2017.

Considering the sensitivity of the case, the High Court bench refused to quash the criminal proceedings against the teacher.