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Bhopal: NGO accuses govt school’s hostel warden of sexually abusing boys
An NGO has accused a hostel warden of sexually and physically abusing about 20 boys, aged 7-11, of a government school in Bairagarh here over a month, an allegation police did not confirm immediately, saying it was probing the matter.
An NGO has accused a hostel warden of sexually and physically abusing about 20 boys, aged 7-11, of a government school in Bairagarh here over a month, an allegation police did not confirm immediately, saying it was probing the matter.
At a press conference on Monday, members of NGO Muskaan alleged that the 20 boys of Government Middle School No. 1 from low income groups, undergoing a Residential Bridge Course, were abused by the warden Ajay Sharma.
The matter came to light about eight days ago when one of the victims returned home and narrated it to his family, the NGO said.
Anjum Bano of the NGO said they learnt about the alleged abuse when these kids started attending the school they (Muskaan) ran in the poor locality, instead of the government school.
The 20 children have stopped going to the school fearing further abuse, she said, adding that 20 other students, who hail from neighbouring districts, are still residing at the hostel.
Bano accused Sharma of torturing the children, including beating them with “wipers” and “kitchen spade”.
“One of the victims, who now attends our school, said Sharma often used to abuse them under the name of punishing indiscipline by pouring cold water on them in the middle of the night and then making them stand under the fan.
“When the victims wanted to go toilet, he refused to give them permission and asked them to attend the nature’s call in their pants only,” Bano said, claiming that some of the kids contracted “skin infections because of the diktat”.
“Sharma, on the pretext of applying medicine on the skin infections on the children’s pelvic area, used to touch their privates inappropriately and sometimes kiss them. He used to do this in the presence of other children inside the hostel.
“He also used to shoot video of the whole episode on his mobile phone which he later used to show to other children of the school as well his female friends,” Bano alleged.
A mother of one of the victims said she was shocked to learn about the ordeal of her son eight days ago.
“I told about this to other women in the locality whose children also lived in the hostel. We all went to the hostel, and the children just came running towards us crying and requesting us to take them back,” the woman said, requesting anonymity.
Bano’s colleague Shivani Taneja said the police had registered the case under section 323 of IPC and sections 75 and 82 of Juvenile Justice Act, but not under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, to which police said they are trying to get evidence of sexual abuse on the children.
“Till now we have not found any evidence which supports allegations of sexual abuse,” town inspector of Bairagarh police station, Sudhir Arjaria said, adding that they have recorded Sharma’s statement, but not arrested him yet.
He said Sharma had admitted to beating the kids as a “disciplinary action”, but did not abuse them sexually.
“Other staff of the school and hostel has also denied that he sexually abused the children,” the officer said.
Regarding undressing the children, the warden told police that “as per the doctor’s instructions, he had to bathe them after application of cream meant to treat skin infections”.
Arjaria however said that police have found that there was some “personal dispute between the accused warden and members of Muskaan”. “We are probing all the angles carefully.”
