Outrage over sexual assault on Class 2 student in school

New Delhi: A class two student of a New Delhi Municipal Council school was allegedly sexually assaulted by an electrician on the institute's premises, police said on Friday. 

Following the incident, the Delhi Commission for Women and the National Human Rights Commission issued notices to Delhi Police demanding details of the case. The NDMC too has initiated disciplinary action against the school authorities. 

The girl was leaving school on Wednesday when the accused, Ram Ashray (37), allegedly took her to a pump room on the school premises and forced himself on her, police said. 

He threatened the girl with dire consequences if she told anyone about it, they. On reaching home, the girl's mother found her bleeding from private parts and took her to a hospital where doctors informed them that she had been sexually assaulted. 

Her parents approached police on Friday, following which a case was registered and the accused arrested. 

Police said the accused was a permanent electrician employed with the NDMC. A case under relevant sections of the IPC and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been registered against him, they said. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), Madhur Verma, said the accused had been working with the school for around two months and was arrested after the victim identified him. 

Police said the accused was being interrogated. They said the spot where the incident happened did not have CCTV cameras. 

The NDMC suspended four officials. They are accused Ram Ashray, headmistress Santosh Rawat, assistant engineer (electric department) Tulsi Ram and assistant teacher Shikha. 

While the civic body has initiated disciplinary proceedings against them, it has also terminated the contract of junior engineer Saurabh Bisht, who was Ashray's supervisor. 

DCW sent notices to the police and the school's authority, asking them to inform it about the safety measures at the institute. The NHRC issued notices to the Delhi government and the police seeking a detailed report about the incident. 

A representative from the school said the victim's parents came to them at 10 am on Friday to inform them about the incident and claimed that the accused was not employed with their school. 

"From what we know, the incident occurred after 1:30 pm, when the school gets over. Our school employee not involved in it. 

Investigation is under way and the child is doing fine. We have been in regular contact with the parents of the victim," she said. The parents of the victim have been called for a counselling session on Monday to assure them of their child's safety.
 
Another employee of the school said CCTV cameras were installed on the school premises and four security guards are always posted at the school gate since it is a girls' school. 

Many parents staged a protest outside the school and raised questions about the safety of their children inside the institute. "What is the surety of our child's safety on the school premises? The principal has been on leave for a week. 

Shouldn't teachers and the vice-principal show more accountability?" a parent said. Another parent said strict security measures were in place for parents to enter the school premises and asked whether the same measures were in place for others. 

According to Delhi Police data, more than two children were raped in the national capital every day in the first four months of this year. 

Till April 30, 282 cases of child rape were reported as opposed to 278 in 2017 during the same period. Last year, 894 such cases were reported, the data stated. 

In September 2017, a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 40-year-old peon inside the premises of a private school in Shahdara, following which he was arrested.