Police in Karachi have arrested the principal cum owner of a private school in Karachi for allegedly luring women with job offers before sexually abusing them, officials said.
Addressing a news conference in Karachi on Monday, Malir SSP Hassan Sardar said they received a complaint from a man who said he had installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at a school in Gulshan-e-Hadeed within the remits of Malir District. Some cameras were also installed in the office of the school's principal, who was also the owner of the school.
The complainant, a camera technician, said he had access to the cameras and their feed for troubleshooting purposes apart from the principal. He added that in the feed, he allegedly saw the principal engage in questionable acts in the school office.
Based on the complaint, SSP Sardar said they conducted an investigation, apprehended the suspect, and recovered 25 videos of the suspect committing alleged illegal acts.
Sardar added that the suspect used to entice women with the promise of jobs. He would then use the offer of jobs as leverage to sexually abuse them. He would then use the videos to blackmail the women into continuing the relationship with him.
The police officer said they had identified at least five victims. He said that they have set up an investigation committee comprising a female inspector to reach out to them and other possible victims.
This committee will engage with the victims identified thus far and any other victims who may come forward.
Meanwhile, Sindh police chief Inspector General (IGP) Riffat Mukhtar took notice of the incident. He sought a detailed report from the relevant officers. He further directed officers to ensure a fair and transparent investigation.
The Caretaker Sindh Education Minister Rana Hussain has also taken notice of the incident and set up a four-member committee to probe the matter.
The committee is led by Education Deputy Director Qurban Bhutto, Assistant Director Mumtaz Qambrani, Zaid Magsi and Javed Qazi. The committee will visit the school, interview the staff and obtain records of all the teachers employed at the school, current and past, apart from other staff.