Ranchi: “We want justice, we want justice… justice should be given to the innocent… School management should wake up, police administration wake up… Hang the culprit,” was all that could be heard during the candle light vigil, organized at Ranchi. The general public of the city had assembled at the state capital’s iconic Gandhi statue, demanding swift action and justice to be delivered in the child sex abuse of the three-year-old toddler, a student of Little Angels School, by the school van driver.
The survivor had been admitted in October last year and from March 25, he had begun availing the school van services. A maid also used to travel along with the kids in the van. Soon, the child began complaining of ill health but continued attending school. On April 4, his mother suspected something unusual and took the child for a medical checkup, where it was reveled that the child was being sexually abused.
“He is only three years of age hence he was not being able to express much about the sexual abuse that he was being subjected to. He had stopped eating and was also having problems in sleeping. Slowly and gradually, I started telling him different stories and he started speaking about the abuse he had undergone,” revealed his mother.
“I was shocked when I came to know that the maid was involved in this act, as she would also him abuse my child,” she added. However, when the parents complained to school, the school authorities negated the possibility of a sexual abuse as a maid used to travel along with the kids in the van.
“Principal Sandhya Bagla even said that, why driver will leave the maid and sexually abuse boy, which is unnatural,” they informed. Later, the principal had given the same logic to eNewsroom during a telephonic interaction.
For 15 days, parents have been pursuing the school authority to take action, but they didn’t budge. Finally, on April 21, the parent met Kuldeep Diwedi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), who said them to lodge a formal complaint with the police.
On April 22, the medical examination of the child was done and the reports have confirmed the child had been subjected to unnatural sexual abuse. But the report is yet to be handed over to the parents or submitted before the court.
The driver has arrested been arrested, while the maid is still free, despite being a partner in crime. The child’s mother has accused the school authority of manipulating the course of investigation.
The vigil was organized by the Jharkhand Parents Association (JPA), and a number of social organization and parents participated in the vigil, demanding justice for the toddler.
“The case got registered on April 21, but neither FIR copy was given to survivor’s parent, nor medical report submitted at the court. These negligence or loop holes raise serious question on the role of police,” said Ajay Rai, President of JPA, while talking to eNewsroom.
“We all know that school is influential and trying every trick to effect the case. The maid has also not been arrested yet.” the JPA president added.
