Kendrapada: The headmaster of a govt primary school in Jagatsinghpur district was arrested on Sunday for allegedly molesting a nine-year-old student in school.

The matter came to light when the girl refused to go to the school on Saturday. When asked by her parents, the Class IV student told them the headmaster molested her the day before.

After learning about the incident, the girl’s mother lodged an FIR in the local police station. In her complaint, she alleged that the headmaster touched her minor daughter inappropriately in school.

“Acting on the complaint, we launched an investigation and arrested the 53-year-old headmaster under various sections of BNS as well as Pocso Act. The headmaster was produced in court on Sunday. The court rejected his bail plea and remanded him in jail custody,” said investigating officer Sarat Kumar Samal.