Family protest outside Rohtak school over alleged ‘sexual assault’ on 5-year-old

The girl reportedly told the family that someone had taken her to the school toilet; the family immediately took the girl to a private hospital for urgent medical attention upon recognising the severity of the situation

The family of a five-year-old nursery student staged a protest outside a private school in Rohtak on Thursday, alleging that the girl was subjected to “sexual assault on the school premises”.

SP Gaurav Rajpurohit said that considering the seriousness of the case and based on the victim’s mother’s statement, an FIR against an unidentified person under relevant sections of the POCSO Act has been registered. (HT Photo for representation)

According to Rohtak superintendent of police (SP) Gaurav Rajpurohit, the allegations emerged after the child returned home from school on Tuesday and her mother discovered her serious condition while changing her clothes.

The girl reportedly told the family that someone had taken her to the school toilet. The family immediately took the girl to a private hospital for urgent medical attention upon recognising the severity of the situation.

The doctors at the private hospital reportedly suspected sexual assault and subsequently referred the child to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, for further evaluation and treatment.

The family accused the school management of withholding information and demanded access to CCTV footage from the school premises. Following the protest, police from Lakhan Majra police station reached the spot and began examining the CCTV footage.

The SP said that considering the seriousness of the case and based on the victim’s mother’s statement, an FIR against an unidentified person under relevant sections of the POCSO Act has been registered. He said that a special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted, while CCTV footage and other technical evidence are being analysed closely.

“At present, no concrete clue regarding the accused has been found,” he said, adding that it was not immediately clear whether the alleged incident involved another student, a member of the school staff or an outsider

“Meanwhile, counselling is also being provided with the assistance of child expert counsellors and doctors. At present, the child has not provided any clear information about the accused. Information obtained through counselling and assessment by experts will be incorporated into the investigation in accordance with the law,” he added.