Chennai: The Madras High Court has raised serious concerns about the safety of school students and the State’s response to the sexual assault of 13 girls at a private school in Krishnagiri, allegedly during a fake NCC camp.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice P.B. Balaji, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a CBI investigation into the matter, directed the State to file a status report detailing the actions taken by the School Education Department against the school.
The PIL, filed by Advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam, highlighted that the main accused, Sivaraman, had previously conducted four similar bogus NCC camps in the district, raising questions about the lack of preventive measures by the State. The advocate also expressed suspicion regarding Sivaraman’s death, suggesting that the State might be covering up the incident by attributing all blame to the deceased accused.
During the hearing, Advocate General (AG) P.S. Raman stated that all the accused were promptly arrested following a complaint from one of the victims. He explained that Sivaraman had a history of suicidal tendencies, having previously consumed rat poison. The AG detailed how Sivaraman died after consuming rat poison again, which he had concealed in his undergarments while being treated at a government hospital in Krishnagiri.
However, the court was not satisfied with these explanations, particularly questioning how Sivaraman was allowed to conduct multiple fake camps in the past. The bench pressed the State on what actions had been taken against the school management.
The AG responded by noting that the principal, owner, and others involved in the incident were arrested soon after the incident came to light. He also mentioned that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by an Inspector General (IG) rank officer, Bhavaneshwari, had been appointed to investigate the case. Additionally, a special committee with three psychologists was set up to provide counseling to the parents and students of the school.
Despite these assurances, the court directed the State to submit a detailed report on the ongoing investigation, refusing to accept the AG’s explanations without further scrutiny.