Two teachers of top Kolkata school held for sexually assaulting 4-year-old

The two physical education teachers were arrested after the student’s father filed a complaint against them (Representational Image)

Two teachers of a premier school in south Kolkata were arrested on Friday after they allegedly sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl in the toilet. The incident triggered a protest outside the school on Friday morning by parents, including the minor’s father, demanding exemplary punishment for the accused and a statement from school authorities.

The two physical education teachers were arrested after the student’s father filed a complaint against them at Jadavpur police station. Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Kolkata Police, Vishal Garg, said both teachers had been booked under Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. “They will be produced in a court tomorrow,” Garg told reporters on Friday.

The girl’s father said, “Yesterday, there were some blood stains on her clothes when she came home from school. We thought she might have contracted some infection. We took her to a nursing home and doctors said there was some foul play and the child was sexually abused. They advised us to take my daughter for a medical check-up and forensic tests and inform the police. Later, our daughter said she was lured by her physical education teachers to the school toilet, where she was assaulted… She was bleeding and there was blood every time she passed urine. We lodged a complaint against the two teachers at Jadavpur police station. Police officials took us and my daughter to SSKM Hospital for a medical check-up.”

A four-member team was set up to conduct the medical check-up, sources said. The child had to undergo medical check-ups twice at the hospital. Priyanka Tibrewal, lawyer of the child’s family, said, “The medical check-ups have confirmed that there are some injuries to her private parts…The parents have demanded strong action against the accused.”

Tibrewal said, “She (victim) identified both teachers after seeing their pictures and broke down,” she added.

The family’s lawyer said they would file a police complaint against school authorities on grounds of negligence. “This is not the first time such an incident has taken place… In November 2014, a similar allegation was made against one of the teachers. The school had given assurance that CCTV cameras will be installed inside. But nothing has been done so far,” she added.

“We will not send our children to the school unless their security is ensured,” said one of the protesting parents.

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee assured that strong action will be taken against the accused teachers, if found guilty. “Action will be taken against the school if it fails to give protection to its students,” he said.

The school principal said, “We are conducting an investigation into this. We will be able to speak on the matter once the investigation is over and we get a report… We will install CCTV cameras inside the school.”

Chairperson of State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Ananya Chakraborti, said, “The school lacks security and students are not safe here.” The state school education department has also sought a report from the school.

Demanding action, supporters of the Congress and BJP and members of SFI protested outside Jadavpur police station.