Bangalore, Oct 24 (BangaloreMirror): I never thought my daughter was the victim of a sexual assault, mother says, as police push suo motu case for negligence against school
On October 21 at 9.15 am, the mother herself dropped off the three-year-old girl, later to be a victim of a sexual assault in the school premises in Jalahalli. When she returned to pick her up three hours later, around 12.30 pm, the girl was sobbing uncontrollably. The mother wondered why, but even knowing that the child almost always had a sunny disposition she did not for a moment fear the worst.
If she could have elicited the reason from her daughter at the school gate, it is conjectured by the police that immediate identification of the culprit and arrest could have been possible. What is worse probably is that the girl should not have been in the school at all since the nursery section was being run illegally. In a shocking revelation, commissioner for public instruction Mohammad Mohsin, who visited the school in which the nursery student was sexually assaulted in Jalahalli, on Thursday said the management did not have permission to operate the institution, making its existence illegal.
The official said, "The operation of the school is illegal. The management had received permission to operate a Kannada-medium school from first standard to fifth standard. However, they started English-medium education from first standard to seventh standard. When the school authorities were quizzed, they told us they are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), but failed to submit relevant documents to substantiate the claim. The school does not even have permission to operate nursery sections in the premises," said Mohsin.
He said the department had already filed a criminal case against the school management for operating an educational institution without licence. When asked what the fate of its students would be, he added that many parents had decided to discontinue their children's education at the school. If they required help, they would be assisted in accommodating their children in other institutions. After the official termed the existence of the school illegal, parents have begun demanding that the school authorities produce proof of its viability. However, the management failed to do so, infuriating the parents.
An active, cheerful child In a statement to the police, the mother has stated that her daughter was crying when she picked her up and had cried incessantly on her way back home. It was unusual, she states, as her daughter was an active, cheerful child.
Back home, she found her daughter was running a temperature. With a sense of foreboding, she began questioning her little girl. The child then told her of an 'uncle hurting' her at school. Injuries on the girl confirmed the mother's worst fears.
The mother states that she immediately took her daughter to a private hospital in Yeshwanthapur. Doctors there confirmed the girl had been sexually assaulted. Since it was a medico-legal case, the Subramanyanagar police, in whose jurisdiction the hospital falls, was informed. On speaking to the mother, the Subramanyanagar cops advised her to immediately approach the Jalahalli police (in whose jurisdiction the school is located).
On Thursday, more than two days of investigating the case, Jalahalli police were tightlipped on how far they had progressed on identifying the culprit. Police said that while CCTV cameras have been installed in the school premises, there is altogether less than 60 seconds of footage in which the girl features. None of it is leading. Police have also questioned staff of the school.
Police have detained a peon of the school, but took great pains to clarify that the man has not been arrested, far less charged with the crime. City police commissioner, MN Reddi told Bangalore Mirror, "He has only been detained. We have not made any arrests so far. The investigation is on the right path. We have obtained some clues which we are pursuing."
The peon was detained after the victim pointed to his picture when shown a bunch of six suspects. But police are being cautious. Given the victim's age and her comprehension of the crime, they say they cannot blindly rely on the girl's testimony. He was reportedly produced before a magistrate on Wednesday (at the judge's residence since it was a government holiday). Police say this is to avoid a case of illegal detention since the person is only a suspect at this point and they cannot detain him for more than 24 hours without arresting him. They have merely obtained permission for custodial interrogation, they say. He is in his late 50s and lives with his wife. He has two daughters, both of whom are reportedly married.
Meanwhile, Child Welfare Committee officials on Thursday met with the girl and her parents and questioned them on the incident.
Why we can't mention the school by name For those wondering why the school's name has been withheld in this report by Bangalore Mirror, this is to clarify that it is in view of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Under this Act, no detail that jeopardises the privacy and identity of the victim -- this includes the name of the school -- can and should be revealed by anyone, the media included. Keeping in mind the child's well-being, especially in the current scenario, BM has thus omitted the name or any detail related in all its reportage. We would sincerely appreciate if our readers would do the same in the comments section of this page and on social media.