Class 8 boy alleges sexual assault in Faridabad school; 2 minors held

Police booked three under Pocso; two minors will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board while efforts are on to identify the Class 10 student.

A 12-year-old boy, a student of Class 8 of a government senior secondary school in Faridabad, alleged he was sexually assaulted by two of his classmates and a senior student in two instances over the past week, police said on Saturday. An FIR has been filed against the three perpetrators, and the two classmates have been apprehended, they said.

Child disclosed incidents after refusing school; no CCTV or witness corroboration yet, police seek school probe and details to trace the senior accused. (File photo)

Officers aware of the case said that the identity of the senior student, a Class 10 student, was yet to be established.

Police said the boy was first sexually assaulted by the senior last week and then again on Wednesday, by his classmates. The two apprehended will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, they said.

Inspector Braham Parkash, station house officer of Saran police station, under whose jurisdiction the school is located, said that the police were apprised of the issue by the boy’s parents after he refused to attend school on Thursday and complained of abdominal pain. “After being repeatedly asked by the parents, he shared the ordeal suffered twice in the school within a week. The parents immediately approached police for legal action,” he said.

Inspector Parkash said that there was no CCTV camera on the school premises and that no staff member or student had corroborated the complainant’s version of events. “We have urged the school authorities to carry out internal inquiry on the entire matter for a detailed report and also help us in ascertaining the identity of the Class 10 student,” he said.

According to the boy’s statement, he can identify the student by face but did not know his name.

The school principal told HT that they were in constant touch with the victim, his parents and the police to provide them all the necessary help in the matter. “Police team had approached us for inquiry. We have shared several details. We have even shown photograph of a Class 10 student to the victim on whom we had suspicion. However, the boy said he was not the one,” the principal said.

The principal said an internal committee report on the incident will be submitted to police on Monday.

The principal said that the boy alleged the incident took place during the seventh period on Wednesday. “However, during inquiry, it came to light that the victim was inside the class at that time,” the principal said.

Meanwhile, Faridabad child welfare committee chairperson Santosh Vats said that the minor was in a terrified state. “He has been provided counselling. We will continue to give necessary support to him,” he said.

Vats said that the boy has given his statement to the judicial magistrate and the child welfare committee. “He suffers from multiple medical conditions and had undergone heart surgery in the past due to a cardiac ailment,” he said.