A government school headmaster in Rajasthan's Barmer district was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly harassing female students and pressuring them into "inappropriate" relationships, police said.

The accused promised the students favourable treatment in exams and sports in exchange for "illicit" behaviour, they said.

An audio clip purportedly capturing a conversation between the headmaster and a student surfaced, prompting his arrest.

According to villagers, this is not the first time the headmaster has faced such accusations. They claimed he had previously been accused of similar misconduct, after which he apologized and sought forgiveness at a village council meeting.

On Tuesday, residents protested, demanding strict action against the headmaster.

Villagers alleged that many students had stopped attending school due to harassment by the headmaster, who allegedly engaged in obscene phone conversations with female students.

The protesters met District Collector Tina Dabi and urged her to take action. Following Dabi's instructions, a team from Nagana police station arrested the headmaster on Tuesday.

The headmaster is accused of coercing students by promising full marks and certificates in sports and scouting. He allegedly forced students to speak with him on the phone and stopped them within school premises to engage in "inappropriate" behaviour.

In the audio recording that surfaced, the accused is purportedly heard pressuring a girl student for an illicit relationship.

On Monday evening, villagers submitted a memorandum to the Barmer collector, calling for immediate action.

According to police, recently, the headmaster allegedly attempted to pressure a student into an inappropriate relationship via video call during the Diwali holidays, resulting in some girls refusing to attend the school.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Madan Dilawar took serious note of the incident and said that the alleged actions were "extremely reprehensible and shameful".

"Such acts are unacceptable in a sacred institution like a school. I have instructed senior officials to conduct an immediate investigation and ensure strict action," he said in a post on X.

Following his directions, District Collector Dabi asked the sub-divisional officer to be submit a report on the incident.

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