The latest attack is the third such incident of a small girl being sexually assaulted on school campus in Bangalore in recent times.
IANS/Bangalore
Police yesterday launched a probe into the alleged molestation of a three-year-old girl in a private school here on Tuesday, as hundreds of parents protested against the incident and sought stringent action against the culprits.
“We have set up a special team to investigate the incident and are interrogating the staff, faculty and security persons employed there,” city Police Commissioner M N Reddi told reporters.
The six-member probe team, headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Sarah Fatima, is examining the footage of the closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the Orchid International School to monitor the movements of students, faculty, staff and visitors.
“We are monitoring the situation and collecting all evidence, as it is a sensitive case involving a three-year-old victim in the nursery section of the school. We are recording the statements of her parents, school administration and teachers as part of the investigation,” Reddi said.
Noting that a medical examination of the child at a hospital showed minor injuries on her body, Reddi said of the 90 faculty and staff members, about 10 were male employees in the school, including caretakers and physical education coaches.
“Where the incident took place is a matter of investigation, which is being carried out with the help of child counsellors and our women officers,” Reddi said.
The mother recalled her daughter telling her that “uncle did this to me.”
Meanwhile, the school management said it had learnt about the incident on Tuesday around 6pm after all students and teachers had left early as a five-day holiday period was to begin from yesterday for Diwali festival this week.
“A cursory viewing of the CCTV footage shows no entry of outsiders in the school yesterday but only teachers and students interacting and moving around. We are co-operating with police to investigate the case,” a school official said.
The entire staff, including teachers, administrative staff and security persons were summoned to the school for questing by the probe team.
Police registered a criminal case late Tuesday under sections of Pocso Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint by the child’s father that his young daughter was molested while she was in the school.
According to the complaint, the girl’s mother found her daughter crying and behaving abnormally when she went to collect her from the school in the evening.
“The victim had signs of fever and complained to her mother that she was physically abused by someone she did not know or recognise,” said her father Harpreet Singh.
Home Minister K J George expressed shock over the incident and directed police to submit a preliminary report by today.