'Police not acting against men who roughed up Bishop Cotton girls'

 The Church of South India Laity Association on Monday said the Cubbon Park police had not taken any action against those who had roughed up and verbally abused students of the Bishop Cotton Girls’ School in January this year.

The students were manhandled by the school’s board members on January 8, when they had assembled on the campus for a peace march opposing the appointment of a new principal.

“Seeing the students near the gate, the board members pushed the gate and entered the school premises. They spat on the children’s face, abused them, manhandled them and sexually harassed them. The board members, along with anti-social elements, attempted to outrage the modesty of the students and criminally intimidated them with dire consequences of burning their hall tickets and not allowing them to write the exams,” said Kennedy, State general secretary of Minority Morcha.

On the day of the incident, former vice principal Irene Adistham and the principal in-charge Ranjitha Rani Kanakaraj went to file a complaint with the Cubbon Park police. However, the moderator of the Church of South India, Dr G Dyvasirvadam, threatened Adistham and Kanakaraj with dire consequences and compelled them to withdraw the complaint, he said.

“A retired teacher Mary Susheela lodged a complaint and an FIR was registered on January 10, 2015, under Sections 8, 9 (f), 10 of the Pocso Act, besides Sections 504, 506, 354 of the Indian Penal Code. Many students, along with their parents, have filed their statement of evidence with the police confirming the attack.

The police have not taken any action against the board members till date. Meanwhile, the board members are threatening the students and parents asking them not to disclose any information to anyone. The board members have already suspended two teachers and staff members for sympathising with the students,” Kennedy said.