Principal, class teacher may be arrested in Greater Noida school rape case

Police have said that the principal and class teacher of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl — who was allegedly raped inside the premises of a Surajpur school — are likely to face arrest if their legal team concludes that the two are responsible for the laxity.

The development comes two days after the names of the class teacher and the principal were added to the FIR under relevant sections of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Earlier, the police had booked and arrested 42-year-old Chandi Das, who was employed at the school as a lifeguard.

Ashish Shrivastava, SSP (rural), Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “The parents of the girl have submitted evidence that shows laxity on part of the school management in terms of security measures. Taking cognizance, the names of the principal and a teacher of the school have been included in the FIR. The two named in the FIR will be arrested soon if conclusive evidence is found against them.”

The girl’s father said, “My wife had sent several text messages to the class teacher, saying that my daughter feels uncomfortable during her swimming lessons. It was strange for us because last year, our daughter enjoyed her swimming classes. My wife kept sending the messages till July but the class teacher never bothered to pass on the message to the principal or enquire further. Even after we sent her a message on July 12, informing her about our daughter’s injuries, she did not inform the principal or the police. The principal got to know about the incident only after police reached the school to arrest the accused.”

Under the POCSO Act, it is an offence if a person or an institute gets to know of probable child sexual abuse but does not pass it on to the authorities concerned. Shrivastava said, “We are seeking legal assistance from our public prosecutors to find out who should be held responsible for the laxity.”