Class 7 girl molested, school takes no action

A class 7 girl was allegedly molested by her school’s lab assistant in northwest Delhi’s Nand Nagri area. Parents of the girl complained about it to the principal of the Delhi government-run school the next day. However, she didn’t take any action against the accused following which the parents went to the local police station and registered a FIR under section of POCSO Act, meant to protect children from sexual offences.

The accused idenAugust 13, 2016, DHNStified as Naitram has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. The incident happened in the first week of July when the girl was going to her elder sister’s class to borrow a pen from her, police said. Midway, Naitram spotted her and asked where she was going. The girl told Naitram that she was going to her elder sister who studies in class 8. Naitram said he could give her a pen and asked the girl to follow him to the laboratory. When the girl entered the lab, Naitram closed the door and started misbehaving with her.

“He allegedly started touching her inappropriately. The scared girl then ran off from the lab,” said a police officer. The girl attended the rest of her classes and went to her house. Next day, when she refused to go to school without giving any reason, her mother probed her persistently after which she revealed the matter to her.

Her parents informed the school’s principal, who assured the parents of taking appropriate action against the employee. However, even after one month the school authority didn’t take any action against Naitram. On Thursday, the miffed parents went to the local police station and registered the case, following which the police arrested the man. Police have however not yet taken any action against the principal Asha Kumar.

Deccan Herald tried calling the school principal but she didn’t pick up the call. The Directorate of Education (DoE) has not received any complaint from the parents or the school yet. “If a police complaint has been filed now, it will come to us in three to four days. An action against the principal or the teacher can only be taken after a preliminary inquiry by the police is done,” a DoE official said.