Delhi school assault: Police Commissioner orders probe into case handling
The probe committee will be headed by two women officers – Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Vijayanta Arya and Additional DCP (South) Aishwarya Singh, said sources.
Based on a complaint by the woman’s family, an FIR has been registered. The woman’s husband and father-in-law have been arrested. (Representational Image) More than two weeks after a three-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted at her school in West Delhi, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha on Friday ordered a probe into the “handling” of the case by the local police, The Indian Express has learnt.
The probe committee will be headed by two women officers – Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Vijayanta Arya and Additional DCP (South) Aishwarya Singh, said sources.
Earlier, the police had arrested a 57-year-old caretaker employed at the school for the alleged rape. He was later granted bail by a court. A female teacher was also arrested after the minor allegedly told investigators that the teacher was present when she was sexually assaulted, police said.
The police said on Friday that they have moved Delhi High Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted to the caretaker.
On May 1, based on the complaint filed by the child’s mother, an FIR was lodged under Section 64 (1) of the BNS, which pertains to punishing rape with rigorous imprisonment not less than 10 years as well as Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which covers aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
The mother alleged that her daughter was sexually assaulted during school hours by an unidentified male staff member.
According to police, the staffer was identified by the child and arrested the same day. However, he was granted bail on May 7 by a court in Dwarka.
In the bail order, the court had noted that the accused had left the junior wing of the school at around 8.37 am and had not returned thereafter. During the hearing, the defense counsel had argued that the accused was not present at the junior wing of the school when the crime allegedly took place.
The court had added that the accused had cooperated with the police and there was no material suggesting that he had attempted to flee or interfere with the probe. It further held that there was no requirement to keep him in prolonged custody and granted him bail without commenting on the merits of the case.
Meanwhile, while the police had sought two-day custody of the teacher, the court granted one-day custody. According to the police, the teacher’s arrest was based on findings indicating her involvement in the incident or alleged lapses that are now under scrutiny.
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