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A committee constituted by the Maharashtra School Education Department to investigate the Badlapur school sexual abuse incident found that most of the CCTVs in the school, where two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by a cleaning staff member, were “non-functional”. The few functional CCTVs did not record footage for 15 days leading up to the incident, according to the report submitted by the committee on Monday. The nine-member committee, formed on August 20, was tasked with investigating the incident, evaluating the response by the school staff and examining safety concerns at the school. The committee also made recommendations, including booking four staff members — two women support staff, a class teacher, and the principal — under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for failing to report the incident immediately and for attempting to conceal it. Announcing the findings of the committee on Monday, Maharashtra School Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said, “Dismissal notices have been issued to all involved, giving them seven days to submit their explanations.” Adding that it was a preliminary investigation, he said the recommendations will be forwarded to police for final probe. Announcing monetary compensation for the children who were abused, he said, “The victim of rape will receive Rs 10 lakh, while the victim of assault will receive Rs 3 lakh. The school education department will cover the complete educational expenses of both girls until they graduate.” Although toilets for students should be close to their classrooms, the report states that toilets in the school where the abuse took place were located in a separate area, away from the classrooms. “There was no women support staff accompanying the girls, as per safety guidelines,” the report states. It also questioned the class teacher for allowing children to go alone and not noticing when a girl was missing for a considerable amount of time. “There would have been a noticeable change in the victim’s behaviour upon returning to class, but the teacher did not notice. The principal was informed of the incident on August 14, yet it was not reported to the police, which is mandatory,” the report noted. It also highlights that the school administration could not provide details about the contracts of the support staff. Based on the findings, Kesarkar said that the school education department will launch an independent helplilne for schoolchildren that will follow the 1098 model operated by the Women and Child Welfare Department. “With officers in school administration and the government now held accountable, we hope no such complaint will go unreported in the future. We are also establishing a separate cell dedicated to verifying such reports promptly to inform me and take immediate action,” Kesarkar said, adding that his department is also considering panic button facilities. Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates None
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