BENGALURU: The 25-year-old guard of a school in Indiranagar, who was accused of sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl on Monday, was remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday. According to a senior police officer, during the interrogation the accused had on Tuesday confessed to committing the crime.
On Wednesday, the Indiranagar police took him for spot inspection, following which his statement was recorded and later remanded. A report on the medical tests conducted on the victim on the day of the incident has been handed over to the city police, said officials at Bowring Hospital.
The police are now waiting for Forensic Science Laboratory report on the clothes of both the survivor and accused. “The police have completed the investigations and chargesheet would be filed soon in this regard. The police are also contemplating on taking action against the school for not complying with the safety guidelines,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, the three-year-old girl, who is currently undergoing treatment in Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, is said to be recuperating. “My child is much better now than yesterday. Today she walked a little and spoke to me for long. When I asked her that will you go to school? She got scared and said ‘no’,” the victim’s mother said.
“It’s been two days since my child has been sexually abused and is in hospital, but no one from the school management has come to visit my child or me till now. They are lying that the incident didn’t take place inside the school,” she added. The aggrieved parents have now demand a speedy trial and justice for their daughter.
KSCPCR chief visits hospital
Kripa Alva, Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights visited the survivor at the Bowring hospital. She later told this newspaper, “The child is much better and is responding to treatment. Though the hospital authorities are saying that the child can go home tomorrow, the mother of the survivor is not willing to take her home and wants the child to stay for few more days until she recuperates fully. We have assured the survivor’s mother that the commission will extend full support for the child’s extended stay in the hospital. The commission is also trying to get compensation for the kid and have ensured speedy justice.”
Guard’s background check not done: Panel
A one-hour long inspection by the expert committee on preventing sexual violence against women and children found that the Indiranagar-based school, where a 3-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a 25-year-old security guard, did not conduct any background verification while recruiting the guard.
According to V.S. Ugrappa, who headed the Expert Committee on Preventing Sexual Violence against Women and Children learnt that the accused security guard was working in the school for the past four-hand-half years. The school also failed to produce a proper record of the watchman’s attendance and salary paid to him.
The school authorities, however, continue to state that the incident didn’t take place on the school premises. They argued that no such incident has been captured in the CCTV cameras installed on the entire school campus. They also claimed that the school had complied with all the security measures. Even the block education officer in-charge had given the school a clean chit on Tuesday, they pointed out.
However, taking a note of a major security lapse, the committee will be soon be issuing a circular to the education department directing schools to compulsorily conduct background check of security guards and other non-teaching staff.
NCW chief holds school responsible
The National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Lalitha Kumarmangalam, who was recently in the city, extending her support to the parents of the raped three-year-old school child. She said the school authorities should be held liable for the shocking incident.
This is her second visit to the city to meet Premalatha, the victim of the Swami Raghaveshwara (pontiff of Ramachandrapura Math) rape case. She had filed a complaint over the delay in filing the charge sheet. Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Chairperson said she conducted an elaborate meeting with the Police and the Law Minister and that the charge sheet will be filed in a few days. It’s the third time the NCW team has visited Bengaluru for this case.
Lalitha Kumarmangalam said, “I have received several representations from various organizations as well as from the victim over the delay in filing the charge sheet. Although no time frame has been given as to when the charge sheet will be filed, the officials have promised me that it will be done soon.” The chairperson denied that the delay was due to any political pressure. The chief said, “I have spoken about the rape of the three-year- old with the police commissioner and the law minister during my meeting with them.”
She acknowledged, “The police have acted quickly but the school authorities should be held responsible. Are the employees’ antecedents checked by them? The school management has tried to wash their hands off.” The NCW has taken suo motu cognizance of the case on Tuesday.
When quizzed if any recommendations have been made by the NCW in the case, she said, “We need the public and parents to unite and put pressure on the authorities. Children are precious and we send them to school for education and we pay for this education and for their protection too. We do not send them to get abused.”
She added, “I have not visited the school but have asked the State Child Rights’ Commission to pay a visit. If they do not, someone from the NCW will visit the school next week.” The NCW and the Karnataka State Child Rights Commission will sit and discuss this issue.
