VIJAYAWADA: A day after a class IX student from the city ended her life due to alleged sexual harassment by her neighbour and TDP leader Vinod Jain, AP Mahila Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma on Monday sought a report on the implementation of safety and security measures for girl students in the school in which the 14-year-old girl was studying and the awareness programmes taken by the institute for the students on ‘Good touch and bad touch.’
Padma also asked Education Minister Audimulapu Suresh to ensure that necessary safety and security measures are taken in schools for class VI to Class XII girls.Padma directed the school management to submit a report on the sessions conducted on ‘Good Touch and Bad touch’ to girl students as part of academic classes, untold sexual harassment, domestic harassment and trafficking of children and psycho social counselling to girls, counselling to boys to give respect to girl students and women. Padma also sought a similar report from the education minister. The school management and the minister were asked to submit the reports within a week.
Speaking to TNIE, Padma admitted that Disha Act and other women and children safety initiatives should be strengthened. “We are planning to take the programmes in such a way to cover girls of all ages from sixth standard to post-graduation level about the application and measures taken by the government for the safety of women,’’ she said. “Despite bringing Disha mobile application for the benefit of women and children, this incident proved there are some loopholes and we need to fix them as early as possible,” said Padma. She further said that they are going to use village/ward volunteers and school managements to explain to the students on the usage of Disha application and procedures for lodging complaints with police pertaining to sexual harassment.
Girl kept mum on abuse: Cops
Bhavanipuram police who are investigating the suicide case of the 14-year-old, said the girl remained silent about Vinod Jain’s harassment for the past two months and did not even tell her parents. The girl’s father works as an additional executive engineer at Dr Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) and her mother is a government school teacher.
“Despite having access to all kinds of communication to reach out to the police, the girl did not use them. We request the parents, especially the working ones, to spend time with their children and encourage them to bring issues worrying or bothering them in school or outside to their notice liberally,” West zone ACP K Hanumantha Rao said.
He said the mobile phone of Vinod Jain, which was seized Monday, is being examined. “Vinod Jain will be produced before the magistrate on Tuesday after taking his statement,” the ACP said.Home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha requested women and children to install and use the Disha mobile application when they are in danger. She said Bhavanipuram police registered a case under relevant sections of POCSO Act and sections 306, 354, 354A, 354D and 509 of the IPC.
Suicide helpline
OneLife: 78930 78930,
Roshni, Hyderabad-based NGO: 040-66202000