Bangalore: It is learnt that more than 30 people including school staff like security guards, school bus drivers, and physical education teachers were interrogated by the city police in connection with the rape of a six year old class 1 student at an upmarket school in Marathahalli on Thursday, following which two persons who are employees of the school have allegedly been taken into custody for intensive questioning.
Though the incident occurred on the afternoon of July 2nd, during school hours when she was on the way to the bathroom, it was discovered only when the student developed medical problems including a stomach ache on July 13th. A medical examination revealed then that she was sexually assaulted.
Parents Protest:
On Thursday, nearly 500 parents gathered in front of the school, to protest the lack of accountability and the inadequacy of security measures for their children studying in the school. Chaos and confusion reigned as enraged parents – who were made to wait outside the school premises for over five hours – resorted to breaking down the locked gates and smashing the glass of some windows in the school. The jurisdictional Varthur police rushed to the spot and controlled the swelling crowd before the situation got out of hand.
After five hours, the chairman of the school came outside to say the incident was ‘unfortunate’ and that the school would support the investigation. “The long wait we endured itself shows the seriousness with which they are handling the incident” said a parent.
The parents are organizing a protest march of about 1500 parents whose children are studying at the various branches of the school across the city on Saturday at 10.00 AM. The Protest will start from the school to the Varthur police station.
An online petition titled ‘Stop violence against children’ addressed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also started by Thursday afternoon, garnering nearly 5,000 signatures by night.
Parents had presented school authorities with a 40-point checklist containing unanswered questions and details of security measures, but the school reportedly agreed to only four. Parents have decided not to send their children to the school where the incident took place, until they receive adequate assurances from the School authorities. The school authorities have set up a second meeting with the parents on Tuesday.
DCP (South East) T D Pawar said the protest march could be held and the city police would ensure nothing went wrong. “It is the right of the people to protest any injustice they feel they are facing. Investigations will reveal the whole truth about who harmed the child, and where. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and have currently taken two school employees into custody for grilling,” the DCP said
Escape from Liability:
Post this incident of rape at the up market school in Marathahalli, A slew of similar schools in the area and around Bangalore, who charge a bomb for educating children at their premises, are now trying to absolve themselves of liability and responsibility for the child’s safety and security during school hours and afterwards by asking parents to sign “consent forms” that absolve the schools of any responsibility for the student’s safety. The forms were sent home through children on Wednesday.
The form says: “I,_____, parent/guardian of _____ studying in ____ school hereby indemnify the school against any claim on account of loss/damage to belongings/injury to my ward during school hours or while in transit to and from school on regular working days and/or while on field trips and outdoor educational trips or availing the school bus transport facility during competitive examinations/ board examinations.”
Commissioner for Public Instructions Mohammed Mohsin said it was wrong on the part of the schools to take such undertakings. “We will look into the issue,” he said. When, is the question.
Nanda, mother of a four-year-old girl student, said that “Though we were not asked to sign consent forms after this incident of sexual assault, there is already a clause in the admission form stating that the school is absolved of all responsibility should anything happen to our ward. At the time of admission, a group of parents had protested this clause but we were promised that it would be removed.”
BJP Workers Protest:
The BJP worker of the district as well held up a demonstration on Thursday July 17 to press for safety of women in Bangalore, observing the rise in rape cases lately.
