New Delhi: A Class 2 student of a New Delhi Municipal Council school was allegedly raped by an electrician in the institute’s premises, the police said on Friday.
The police said they suspect the accused, Ram Ashray (47), had been after the girl for some time since he had tried to pull her towards himself a day before he allegedly raped her.
Four officials, including the headmistress of the government school were suspended by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Friday. According to police sources, the alleged rape took place around 1.30 pm on Wednesday. The seven-year-old girl was leaving school on Wednesday when the accused allegedly took her to a pump room inside the school premises and forced himself on her.
“The accused allegedly warned the six-year-old not to tell anyone,” a senior police officer said.
The police said that once the girl returned home, her mother found that she was bleeding.
She immediately informed her husband. The girl was taken to a hospital, where a medical examination confirmed rape.
“On the basis of the girl’s complaint an FIR was lodged and police recorded her statement with the help of counsellors. She told counsellors that she was raped by a man wearing a red T-shirt,” the officer said. On Thursday, the police questioned the school staff and arrested the accused after the girl identified him.
After the incident, several parents staged a protest on Friday outside the NDMC-run school where the incident took place. They demanded security in its premises and a ban on the entry of outsiders. Even if outsiders are allowed, their identity documents must be checked, the parents said.
The protestors also said that the school authorities should have informed them about the incident.
The parents of a girl, who studies in the school, said they found out about the incident on Friday and approached the teachers. The latter could not give satisfactory answers.
“Even parents of students are not allowed inside the school without proper IDs. If the accused was an outsider, as the school authorities are claiming, how did he enter the school without permission or without furnishing an ID?” one of the protestors questioned.
They expressed apprehensions about the safety of their children inside the school and sought to know whether the CCTV cameras were working.
“We have seen CCTV cameras at various points inside the school but are they functional? We have seen many cases earlier where CCTV cameras were installed but were either of low resolution or were not functional,” said another parent.
Some parents said they will not send their daughters by school bus but will pick and drop them on their own.
They also questioned the school’s attitude in dealing with such a serious incident.
“The principal has been on leave for a week. The headmistress and the school teachers should show more responsibility during this time,” a protester said.
A woman, who was an ex-student of the school, said: “This is the first time that such an incident has happened in my school. It is shocking and now I am concerned about the safety of my daughter.”
