Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Friday directed Kolkata police to file a progress report on January 16 on its investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl student on the campus of a leading school.
Hearing a petition by the child’s parents seeking a CBI investigation, Justice Debangshu Basak said the direction, however, would not prevent the city police from carrying out its probe into the case.
The court would hear the matter again on January 16, when the progress report would have to be filed.
Two physical education teachers of G.D. Birla Centre for Education at Tollygunge in the southern part of the city were arrested following a complaint by the parents alleging that their child had been sexually assaulted on November 30. The alleged incident led to an agitation by the parents of students of the school demanding action, following which the institute was closed by authorities till December 7.
Alleging inaction and overaction by the investigating agency, petitioner’s counsel Priyanka Tibrewal submitted before the court that it has not filed any FIR against the principal of the school, claiming that her letter following the alleged incident that had not been corroborated.
Tibrewal claimed the police had asked her to record her statement before a magistrate, despite her being the counsel for the alleged victim’s parents.
Submitting for the city police, additional advocate-general Abhratosh Majumdar stated that an FIR has been filed against the principal of the school and the police was investigating all aspects of the case.
He told the court that Tibrewal had stated that she was a relative of the child during the agitation at the school after the alleged incident, and as such the police had asked her to record her statement. Had the police been informed about her status as the lawyer for the petitioners earlier, it would have refrained from asking her to record her statement, Majumdar submitted. He also told the court that a portion of the school reportedly did not have necessary sanction and that this aspect was also being looked into.
