NEW DELHI: An 11-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two senior students of the same school in Delhi who were later expelled by the authorities but the crime was not reported to the police for about three months. According to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal, the incident happened in July, 2022 at the Kendriya Vidyalaya School (KVS).
According to the police, the victim filed a complaint on Tuesday and immediately a case was registered.
The Delhi Police did not share any details about the incident, however, sources said that an FIR was registered by the police under relevant sections of law.
“In July, when the girl was going to her classroom, she ran into with two boys of the same school. She apologised to the boys but they forcibly took her inside a toilet,” said Maliwal. The accused then locked the door from inside and allegedly raped her. When the girl informed the teacher about the incident, she was told that the boys had been expelled by the school authorities.
The matter was allegedly hushed up and was not even reported to the police, said Maliwal, adding that the commission has now taken suo-motu cognizance of the incident and issued separate notices to the Delhi Police and the Principal of the school.
The Commission asked Delhi Police has been asked provide a copy of FIR and arrests made in the matter and the school to provide information of action taken against the school for not reporting the incident.
“It is very unfortunate that even schools are unsafe for children in the capital. Strict action must be taken in the matter and an enquiry into the role of school authorities must be taken,” Maliwal stated.
Notably, crime against women in Delhi continues to show an upward trajectory, compared to last year’s data. According to the data compiled by the Delhi Police, 1,100 women have been allegedly raped in the first six and a half months of 2022. In 2021, 1,033 women had to face the heinous crime till the same period. Comparing this year’s data with that of 2021, there has been an increase of 6.48 per cent.
Time and again, the top officials of the Delhi Police have maintained that women’s safety is their ‘topmost priority’ and drastic steps are regularly being taken to avert such tragedies. However, the numbers continue to spike. In 2021, the total number of crimes against women in the first six months stood at 6,747, which increased to 7,887 this year. In total, crime against women has increased by 17 per cent in the national capital.
Incident not reported to Principal: KVS official
The principal was not aware of the incident till the time a complaint was filed with the Delhi Police on October 4 by the parents, a senior KVS official said. “The parents did not report the incident to the school and it came to light after Delhi Police began its investigation,” he said. The official added a that parent-teacher meet was also held on July 31 in which the father did not reveal anything about the incident. KVS’ Regional Office, after conducting an internal enquiry, will submit a report to the DCW by October 10.