RAICHUR: An eight-year-old schoolgirl from Muddamguddi village, Manvi taluk in Raichur district, was allegedly abducted from her school by a man from the same village, and raped on Wednesday.

As soon as the incident came to light, police arrested the accused, Shivanagouda (36) and the school headmaster, Raju Talikoti.

Shivanagouda reportedly abducted the girl and her four-year-old brother from the school, located in Potnal village, near Muddamguddi, during the break and took them on his bike to a construction site on the outskirts of the village.

According to sources, he gave his mobile phone to the boy to keep him engaged, and took the girl inside the construction site and allegedly raped her. Later, the accused took the girl and her brother back to the village and left them there. Based on a complaint by the girl’s parents, police arrested the accused and the headmaster.

The girl was taken to a local hospital for treatment soon after the case was registered at Manvi police station. According to Superintendent of Police Puttamadaiah, both the arrested have been remanded in judicial custody.

According to sources, Shivanagouda was speech-impaired and took advantage of the sympathy he got from the villagers. He is said to have attempted to rape some women and children in the village whenever he found them alone at home. However, many of the victims did not disclose the incidents, fearing for their reputation, sources added.

Meanwhile, members of the Jagruta Mahila Sanghatana and other progressive organisations protested in Potnal town of Manvi taluk on Thursday, condemning the minor girl’s rape.

The protesters demanded that the accused be given strict punishment under the POCSO Act immediately. Schools should form child protection committees and install CCTV cameras to prevent such crimes, they insisted and submitted a memorandum to Tahsildar Raju Pirangi and BEO Chandrashekhar Doddamani.