Mumbai: Even though the sexual abuse of two pre-school girls by a caretaker of a school in Badlapur and the subsequent public protests are still fresh in people’s minds, while in another disturbing incident, a seven-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused by a 16-year-old. Canteen boy in a private school in the Vasai region over a period of two weeks.
The matter came to light on Thursday when the girl’s reluctance to go to the canteen raised suspicions and prompted the class teacher to investigate further. During questioning, the girl revealed that she was being harassed by a canteen “uncle”.
The class teacher immediately informed the school principal about the sexual abuse, who then contacted the parents. Despite initial concerns, the school principal filed a police complaint. The accused was detained in a juvenile detention center and charged with violation of modesty under sections of the BNS Act and Pocso.
Police investigations suggest that the accused may have sexually abused the girl three to four times within two weeks. Video footage from the school was given to the police for examination and the girl was given a medical examination. Police are also investigating whether the accused has harmed other students at the school.
The canteen is run by a private contractor who is being questioned. The accused, who joined the canteen two months ago after moving to the city from Uttar Pradesh, has not been subjected to police verification despite his Aadhar card details being provided to the authorities. Police have asked their colleagues and the teenager’s family for more information. He was staying with other men in a nearby locality.
The school, which has been functioning for over 14 years, has more than 2,200 students from pre-primary to grade 12. The entire premises are under CCTV surveillance and the recordings have been shared with the police. Following the Badlapur case, local police in Vasai region held a workshop for head teachers and teachers on August 21 and advised them to report any sexual abuse to the authorities immediately. Schools have also been asked to improve student safety, set up complaint boxes and set up sexual harassment committees. The state has directed educational institutions to set up control rooms to monitor live footage during school hours. Most schools install monitors in the rooms of head teachers and staff where live monitoring is not always possible.