Minor girl raped in south Delhi school, sweeper held

NEW DELHI: Cases of sexual assault of minor in Delhi-NCR show no signs of diminishing, as a six-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a sweeper inside the school premises in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area. Police said that the accused were arrested from the spot.

According to police, around 8 pm Wednesday, a PCR call was received at Malviya Nagar police station about misbehaviour with a girl at Sant Nirankari School in the same area.

On inquiry, it was found that the minor girl, a Class I student, had been sexually assaulted by the sweeper working in the school.

The incident had taken place around 1 pm on Wednesday. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chinmoy Biswal claimed that the accused, identified as 23-year-old Rakesh, lives with his family in Dakshinpuri area.

"After the victim returned from the school, she informed her parents who then went back to the school and met the Principal," said the DCP.

Police claimed that after the school authorities came to know about the incident, the accused was called by the authorities so as to confirm that he was involved in the incident.

After the victim identified him, he was nabbed by the school staffs, who immediately called the PCR.

A case under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act has been registered.

The victim's father told Millennium Post that his child had returned home around 2.30 pm and told her mother about the incident.

The parents then reached the school and informed the principal, after which police were called.

Narrating his daughter's ordeal, the father said that the girl had gone to the washroom when the accused assaulted her.

"No women employee was at the washroom at that time. My daughter had called out help, but the accused easily entered and committed the crime," said the father.

Wednesday's incident comes less than a month after a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a peon inside the premises of a private school in Shahdara. The accused was arrested was arrested immediately in that case

In Gurugram, on September 8, seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur was found murdered with his throat slit inside the washroom of Ryan International School.

Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has directed district DCPs to contact and pursue with the school authorities in their respective areas to enhance security of children in schools.

"Get the security and safety audit done on their premises and follow the security-related advice for the safety of school children. Install CCTV Cameras at all vulnerable areas and points on the school premises," the Commissioner directed.

Schools have already been directed to mandatorily get police verification done for the staff employed for various purposes, such as bus drivers, conductors, peon and other support staff. They must employ supporting staff from authorised agencies and keep proper records.

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, as was the daily routine, the six-year-old girl prayed in the morning, took her lunch box and went to the school. When she returned in the afternoon, however, things were not the same.

The girl was not talking to her mother like she used to every day. She had returned home scared and crying, and told her mother about the incident, which shook the family.

Talking to Millennium Post, the girl's father said that even at such as tender age, his daughter had dreams of becoming an engineer.

"She is good at maths and loves paintings. We had recently celebrated her birthday," says the father. He says that after their house, school is the place where parents believe their children are the safest. But Wednesday's incident has shaken his faith.

''Why are such incidents happening inside the school," questions the angry father.

When asked if they will continue to send their daughter to the same school, the father says they are yet to make a decision.

But the little girl had told her parents that she will not go to the school again.

"Earlier, she used to tell me all about her activities in school. But on Wednesday she was very quiet," says the father.

The girl was initially quiet, but soon broke and told everything to her mother.

According to the family, when they took the girl to the hospital, the doctor told them a medical test would be required. But the girl was terrified and told them not to do it.

"It was the first time I saw my daughter so scared," he added.

The family, hailing from Manipur, had been living in Delhi for many years and the father works for a private firm.

Meanwhile, in Dakshinpuri, the family of the 23-year-old accused Rakesh came to know of his arrest only around 1 am on Thursday. His father, suffering from a liver ailment, had to rush to the police station.

"He cannot do such a thing and is very friendly with children," says his mother. Some neighbours said that Rakesh was indeed friendly with children in the neighbourhood.

Rakesh had joined the school as a sweeper a month ago. Earlier, he had been working in a hospital as a compounder.

"He studied till Class XI and failed in XII, after which he did not show interest in the study. So I admitted him in a mobile and computer repairing course," says the father, adding that due to a meagre income, Rakesh often had to change jobs.

The family claim that Rakesh has no criminal background, and he was the only breadwinner.

He has three siblings, which include a sister, the youngest brother who has an eye condition and a middle brother who too recently got employed.

"He used to go in the morning around 7.30 am and would return in the evening. But on Wednesday, he did not come, and on Thursday we got the call telling us that my brother has been arrested," says Rakesh's sister.