Minor raped in Noida school, housekeeping staff arrested

NOIDA: A three-year-old student was allegedly raped by a housekeeping staff member inside a private school under Sector 20 Police Station area of Noida. Police on Tuesday said that the accused has been arrested and sent to jail.

The accused, who resides in Nithari, was hired on a contractual basis a few months prior to the incident. On October 9, he allegedly took the girl to an area not covered by the school’s CCTV cameras and sexually assaulted her.

The child’s parents noticed her unusual quietness after returning from school that day and she complained of severe pain in her lower abdomen when questioned. The family submitted a complaint at Sector 20 Police Station on October 10, stating that a private doctor who examined the child alerted them about injuries on her private parts and possible “molestation by inserting something in her private part.”

The girl later confided in her parents, saying a man who handed out plates at their school had “pricked” her private parts, causing her pain. Following the incident, she refused to go to school.

According to Noida DCP Ram Badan Singh, the accused works in the school’s housekeeping department and was booked under BNS Section 65(2) (rape) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act. The police also stated that the school’s management will be questioned in connection with the case. “The accused has been arrested. Investigations are underway,” said Singh.

The school released a statement saying, “Considering the kind of security and systems that are in place at the school, the incident in question is unlikely. No evidence has been found in the CCTV footage examined by the police so far. However, full support is being extended to the parents and the police. The investigation is in progress by the police. The school has requested a

copy of the FIR.”