An investigation into the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls in a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur has revealed that the CCTV recordings of the last 15 days were missing and the school administration did not take any action despite being aware of the matter, School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said on Monday (August 26). The probe was conducted by the Maharashtra School Education Department which found the CCTVs near washrooms also missing, he added.
"It is necessary to install CCTV cameras in every school. However, 15 days of recording is missing from the Badlapur school. The department is still conducting its probe. I will soon meet the families of the victim girls and take responsibility for their education till graduation. The financial assistance will be provided by cheque every month," said Kesarkar.
The department has already directed the installation of CCTV cameras in all schools and started help desks, he added.
The Minister said that the government will provide Rs 10 lakh to the victim of rape and Rs 3 lakh to the victim of attempted rape from the Badlapur school, adding that the identity of these girls will not be revealed.
The education department Committee further revealed that two school maids, Kamini Gaikar and Nirmala Bhure, were on duty to take the girls to the washroom. However, it was found that they were not present. The committee has sent the duo for further inquiry. "If these two maids were present, the sexual abuse would not have happened. The committee has recommended to take appropriate action against them and make them co-accused in the case," said the Minister.
“The class teacher and the principal despite knowing that two maids were not present when the sexual abuse took place did not inform the police. The education department therefore is recommending to the home department to initiate action against them under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO),” said Kesarkar.
Kesarkar’s disclosure is important, especially when the state government-appointed Special Investigation Team has also launched its investigation into the case.
The incident reportedly took place on August 12 and 13 and the offence was registered on August 16 after public outcry. It was also revealed that all CCTV cameras were not functional in the school and now the recordings for the last 15 days were missing. The Minister has hinted that strict action will be taken against the school, especially, when the government has already appointed an administrator for the school.
(With IANS inputs)
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