NEW DELHI: Days after two girls were sexually abused by an outsider in the classroom of a school run by the East MCD a preliminary enquiry report prepared by the civic body has found “security lapses” on part of the school authorities as the major reason behind the incident. Over 300 schools run by the civic corporation do not have any security layers in terms of a guard or an attendant during school hours for gate-keeping while only a few schools have CCTV cameras installed.
The report also states that the “class teacher and the school principal should have been more vigilant, which could have prevented such an incident from taking place”. The school located in east Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar does not have any security guard manning the gate during the school hours and no CCTV cover as well, said members of the teaching staff.
According to senior officials in the civic body, action has been taken against the school administration while the file for the same was yet to be signed on Thursday evening. “The class teacher and the principal have been suspended while show-cause notices have been issued to the school in-charge and the school inspector while the zonal head has been given a warning in the matter. Also, the EVGC (emotional vocational guidance counsellor) at the school has been terminated. We are conducting a detailed enquiry in the matter,” said a senior corporation official.
The preliminary enquiry also found that the report submitted to the civic body by the school inspector (SI), a senior teacher who has 30-40 schools under his/her charge for administration and security related issues, was not “satisfactory”. The corporation runs 354 primary schools – nursery to class V – with total student strength of over 1.5 lakh.
When asked about the security personnel and CCTV coverage, Nidhi Malik, director (education), East MCD said that the recruitments for guards and chowkidars have been in the process, but have remained stuck for lack of funds. “Also a project for providing CCTV coverage to all schools under the civic body has been approved, but funds are yet to be released to take it forward,” said Malik.
In addition, East MCD mayor Shyam Sunder Agarwal admitting to the security lapse said that action is being taken against school authorities while he also blamed the Delhi government for not releasing funds “due” to the civic body, which has crippled it from within.
Mayor admits to security lapses
East MCD mayor Shyam Sunder Agarwal admitted to the security lapses and also blamed the city government for not releasing funds “due” providing CCTV coverage
Over 300 schools run by the civic body do not have any security layers in terms of a guard or an attendant, including the school located in east Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar where the incident took place
Preliminary enquiry by the civic body also found that the report submitted by the school inspector on the incident was not “satisfactory”
Child rights body demands tangible action
NEW DELHI: Taking suo motu cognizance of the sexual assault incident at an East MCD-run school, the Delhi Commission For Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) wrote to the civic body on Thursday seeking details of the action taken over the incident.
A man had allegedly entered the classroom of the civic body-run school in east Delhi and sexually assaulted two eight-year-old girls before undressing himself and urinating in front of the students.
The DCPCR, in its letter to East MCD education director Nidhi Malik, said it has taken suo-motu cognizance of media reports on the matter.
In a notice issued to the SHO of Bhajanpura police station, the DCPCR sought a detailed action-taken report on the matter by May 12, failing which the commission will have to take recourse to issuing a summon and enforce your attendance under oath as per the powers conferred to the commission.
The child rights panel said according to news reports, the incident occurred on April 30.
“However, the school authorities did not disclose the incident to the police authorities which is a clear violation of Section 19 of the Pocso Act, 2012. Therefore, the nonchalance reflected in the behaviour of the school authorities is a serious transgression of this Act and shows their lackadaisical attitude towards such traumatising incidents,” the panel said.
The commission has sought the true and legible copy of the FIR; whether the victims/ cases were produced before the concerned CWC; counselling report of the victim girls; enquiry report into the matter and action taken against the alleged accused and lastly the name and details of the school where the incident happened and action taken by the school authorities in the matter.
In addition, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has also issued a notice to the police and East MCD in with the matter. Police said no CCTV camera was installed at the entrance of the school and on the premises. East MCD Mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said that a “lapse” has happened and a probe has been ordered.