May 02, 2024 06:54 AM IST
An 8-year-old girl allegedly given laced food and raped at a Bhopal school hostel. 3 suspects, including warden, booked. SIT probe ordered.
An eight year-old girl was allegedly given food laced with an intoxicant and raped at the hostel of a private school in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, police said on Wednesday, adding that three suspects, including the hostel warden, have been booked in connection with the case.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought a probe report from the Bhopal Police within five days.
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According to the complaint lodged by the survivor’s mother late on Tuesday, the eight-year-old was admitted in Class 2 of a private boarding school in Bhopal on April 19.
“During a video call on Sunday, the girl started crying and told her mother that she was bleeding. The warden, however, disconnected the call half-way through. The next morning, the mother reached the school to meet her daughter, who informed her that the warden gave her Dal-Chawal following which she slept. She gained consciousness hours later and found herself on the bed of a different room where a bearded man was doing ‘wrong things’ to her. She also informed about the presence of another man in the room, who was asking the bearded man to stop as the girl had gained consciousness, but he didn’t and the girl fainted again,” the complaint said.
“When the girl regained consciousness the next morning, she was back in her room. Later, she started experiencing pain in her stomach and informed the warden who threatened her of dire consequences. She, however, informed her mother on Sunday,” it added.
Misrod town inspector Manish Raj Bhadoriya said the girl’s medical examination at the Jai Prakash Government Hospital in Bhopal has confirmed rape. “Based on the complaint, we have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three people, including the hostel warden, under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code, and under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (Pocso) Act.”
“A police team reached the school on Wednesday morning to interrogate the staff members. We have also seized the CCTV footage from the hostel to identify the accused,” he added.
No arrests have been made in the case.JP hospital civil surgeon Dr Rakesh Shrivastava said, “It’s a medico-legal case and the report has been given to the police. Police will comment on this.”
The school owner, however, has denied the allegations and demanded a fair inquiry into the matter.
“We have been running the school for the past 28 years. The woman took her daughter on Monday and she was looking absolutely normal. Later, these allegations were made. We want a proper investigation,” said school owner Priyanka Modi.
The girl’s mother meanwhile girl alleged that police didn’t file her complaint even after 24 hours of the confirmation of rape.
“An assistant sub-inspector Prakash Rajput had come to the hospital after receiving information on Monday but he asked us to compromise and not file any complaint. The FIR was finally registered on Tuesday after I emphasised a lot,” said Deputy commissioner of police Shradha Tiwari while quoting the woman. We are investigating her allegations, she said.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
She is a senior reporter based at Bhopal. She covers higher education, social issues, youth affairs, woman and child development related issues, sports and business & industries.
