New Delhi: A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped for two months at a private school in Hyderabad. After the incident came to fore, Telangana Education Minister Sabita Indra Reddy has ordered that the government recognition given to that school should be immediately cancelled and students to be accommodated in other schools.
The minister has also ordered that a committee headed by Telangana education secretary submit a report to the government on what safeguards can be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The said committee will have director of school education as members, secretary of women and child welfare department and a senior officer concerned with protection of children against sexual offences. The report has to be submitted within a week.
The private school in Banjara Hills area was closed after the incident of rape of the girl became public. The driver of the school principal, accused of raping and sexually assaulting the girl for over two months, was arrested on Wednesday.
Later, the school principal, who was said to laugh at allegedly complaining of misbehaviour and not acting on it, was also arrested following protests by parents.
The parents had noticed a change in the girl’s behaviour and when the mother questioned the girl, she realised that something very wrong had happened to her. The girl had allegedly pointed to the driver who had access to the children inside the school.
An FIR was registered after angry parents assaulted the driver and sat on a dharna in front of banjara hills police station.
Investigation into the case found that CCTVs were not working in the school. It was also found that the driver had often worked as a teacher for the pre-primary section.
The minister intends to send a strong message to the school management on child safety. The order to close the school and shift the children has caused concern among the parents of the children and government officials.
There are 700 students studying in this school. Other schools are finding seats for them. This is a big challenge in the middle of the academic session, officials said.