The photoshoot was done in Chikkaballapur during a study tour.
The Karnataka teacher whose photos with a Class 10 student went viral on social media has been suspended. The alleged "photoshoot" took place in Chikkaballapur during a study tour and the teacher, Pushpalatha R, is the head teacher of Murugamalla Village Government High School. The photos show the teacher hugging and kissing the student and he has even lifted her up in one of the pics. They were posted by several users on X and other social media platforms where they gained significant attention, with users slamming the teacher.
"Where are we heading as a society? Pictures and videos from a romantic photoshoot of a government school teacher with a Class 10 student in Karnataka's Murugamalla Chikkaballapur district, went viral," Amit Singh Rajawat, an X user, said in a post while sharing the photos.
He also said that the parents of the Class 10 boy were outraged and filed a complaint with the Block Education Officer (BEO) demanding a thorough investigation into the teacher's behaviour.
There was anger among social media users too.
"Strong action should be taken against the student. He is not innocent," commented one user. "Teacher is practically training her student in love making poses," said another.
One user questioned why there is uproar over the photoshoot, saying there's "nothing wrong in it" adding if action has to be taken "both should be punished".
After receiving the complaint, the BEO V Umadevi visited the school and carried out the enquiry following which the teacher was suspended. Deputy Director of Chikkaballapur District Education Department took the action based on the report of the BEO.
Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Bailanjinappa issued the order suspending the head teacher.
Pushpalatha R was later questioned by school authorities about the photoshoot and she told them that it's a "mother-son relationship" that they share.
Both the student and the teacher have claimed that the photos were meant to be private and got leaked, leading to the outrage from the parents.