GD Birla: Accused won't go unpunished, affirms Mamata

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated on Monday that action will be taken against those involved in sexually abusing the four-year-old student of GD Birla Centre for Education in Ranikuthi area in South Kolkata.

The guardians assembled before the school that was declared closed for an indefinite period with effect from Monday and demanded immediate opening of the school. BJP MP Rupa Ganguly, who visited the school, faced strong protests from the guardians who claimed that she is trying to politicise their agitation.

The CM described the incident as "very unfortunate" and said: "The state School Education department has already condemned the incident. I don't think that for a particular teacher or a few, everybody should be blamed. All teachers are not bad but there are some bad people. We have to take action against them."

The guardians were demanding immediate opening of the school with examinations in various subjects from Classes VI to XI scheduled on Monday, when Ganguly reached the spot. The guardians started shouting 'Go Back' slogans at the BJP leader and said their agitation for the betterment of the school should be devoid of any politics. Ganguly, however, claimed that she had come to the spot as she had been a one-time resident of the area. Echoing the voice of the guardians, she demanded the principal's arrest. Later when she forcibly tried to enter the school, she was stopped by the police.

Later in the day, Subhas Mohanty, a spokesperson of the Ashok Hall group of schools under which this institution falls, said that a tripartite meeting will be organised in the school on Tuesday afternoon with the school authorities, representatives from the guardians forum and the police.

"We have sent letters to 4,000 parents and have regretted what has happened. We have informed them that we are taking elaborate security measures including installation of CCTVs and are trying desperately to ensure normalcy in the school," he added.

Mohanty, however, said that they have not yet contemplated removal of the principal as demanded by the guardians of the school for her alleged indifference towards the case.

Chairperson of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights Ananya Chatterjee Chakraborti, who visited the school premises on Monday, said that closing of the school suddenly for an indefinite period goes against the Education Act. "We will recommend the Education department to take action against the school for such an act," she said.

Chakraborti, accompanied by member of the Commission Soumitra Roy, also spoke with the victim's father who had joined the agitation.