KRISHNAGIRI: A day after an NTK member was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a Class 8 girl during an unauthorised NCC camp at a private school near Bargur, seven persons, including the correspondent and principal, were arrested on Sunday for allegedly not reporting the crime and conducting the camp without permission. NTK had dismissed A Sivaraman (28) of Kaveripattinam after police booked him under sections 5, 6, 9 and 10 of the Pocso Act and section 238 of BNS act. Sivaraman is on the run.
The 13-year-old victim stayed at her relatives’ house in Bargur. Her school conducted an NCC camp from August 5 to 9 and Sivaraman was one of the coordinators. A total of 41 students, the victim among them, attended the camp. Sources said the Class 8 girl was asked on August 9 to meet Sivaraman at a particular place, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
On the same day, the child spoke about the assault to another student. They alerted a few other friends, and they took the matter to the principal, A Sathish Kumar (39) of Thirupattur. “However, he asked them not to take the matter seriously,” a police source said.
It was also alleged that Sivaraman allegedly sexually harassed another 12 girls at the camp. On Friday night, the victims’ parents lodged a police complaint. The school education department and district child protection unit also initiated inquiries the following day.
Sathish Kumar was arrested for trying to conceal the crime. Following inquiry and learning that the NCC camp was conducted without permission, the police on Sunday arrested school correspondent I Samson Wesley (52) of Bagur, teacher A Jenifer (35) of Bargur, retired CRPF personnel V Subramani (54) of Chinna Orappam, N Sindhu (21) of Berigai, M Sathya (21) of Krishnagiri and S Sakthivel (39) of Karimangalam. Sivaraman and another accused in the case, Sudhakar, are absconding.
When contacted, SP P Thangadurai said four special teams have been formed to nab the duo. “The school did not obtain permission from the department to conduct the camp. We are also checking if Subramani and others conducted camps in other schools too,” the SP said.
District Child Protection Officer D Saravanan told TNIE that they are in the process of taking statements from the students. “A sensitisation programme on the Pocso Act will be conducted at private schools in Krishnagiri district and Collector KM Sarayu will take action,” he said.
Counselling will be provided first to the children in trauma, said Collector Sarayu. “In this case, three private school management staff were arrested. No standard operating procedures were followed while conducting the camp,” she told TNIE.
As news spread, over 50 police personnel were deployed near the private school. District Education Officer R V Ramavathy (private schools) said she will send a report to the school education department. To complain about child-related issues, contact child helpline - 1098 and police control room number - 100.