A principal of a private school in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Hadeed area has been detained on allegations of raping and blackmailing women, according to police officials.

Steel Town police Station House Officer (SHO) Nand Lal told Dawn.com on Monday that the school principal was taken into custody after videos of the alleged rape incidents went viral on social media.

The matter came to light when a technician came across these videos while repairing a CCTV at the principal’s school, the SHO said, adding that around 20-25 videos were subsequently uploaded on social media.

He said the suspect had confessed to raping women after luring them with the prospect of a job and making their videos to blackmail them.

The official further told Dawn.com that a man had also demanded Rs1 million in extortion from the school principal after he acquired the video. The SHO did not elaborate on how the alleged extortionist acquired the video.

However, he added that the school principal had told police that he had submitted an application at Malir City Police Station, seeking action against the alleged extortionist.

The SHO said the police intervened in the matter before “any agreement between the two was reached” and took the school principal into custody.

He said a first information report (FIR) would be registered against him on behalf of the state through a police officer, and none of the women allegedly raped by him had approached police so far.

Separately, Malir Senior Superintendent of Police Hassan Sardar told the media that 25 videos were recovered from the suspect while five of the women who were allegedly raped by him had been identified.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Sindh school education secretrary.

In a statement issued to the media, the governor said the Karachi additional inspector general must take action against those found guilty.

Separately, Sindh Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar Raja took notice of the matter and sought details from the Malir SSP.

He directed police to ensure impartial and transparent inquiry into the matter.

School sealed

Meanwhile, the Sindh Education and Literacy Department directed authorities to seal the school “immediately” and hold a probe into the matter.

In a letter addressed to Malir deputy commissioner (DC), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Education and Literacy Department acting Director General, Muhammad Afzal said interim provincial Education Minister Rana Hussain had taken strict notice of the matter and ordered action against the culprit.

“As per the record of this directorate, the school is not registered with the relevant authority and it is functioning without any legal status,” the letter read.

It directed the DC to investigate the matter “with full length and immediately seal the school premises”.