What about school kids' safety, asks Madras HC on sexual assault, fake NCC camps

The court is continuing the hearing on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Raising a serious question about the safety of the school students, Madras High Court directed the State to file the status report regarding the action taken by the school education department against the private school at Krishnagiri where 13 girl students were sexually assaulted in a fake NCC camp.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji heard a PIL seeking CBI investigation into the case.

Advocate AP Suryaprakasam who filed the PIL submitted that the main accused Sivaraman have conducted similar four bogus NCC camps in the district and the State has not taken any action.

Also read: Fake NCC trainer Sivaraman, accused in Krishnagiri rape case, dies days after suicide bid

He also raised suspicion over the manner Sivaraman died and submitted that State is covering up the entire incident by shifting all the blame on the dead accused.

He wondered how a single person can conduct such bogus camps. The other persons behind this incident should be arrested, said the advocate and sought for CBI investigation.

Advocate General (AG) PS Raman submitted that all the accused were arrested immediately after one of the victim girl complaint about the sexual assault.

He also said that the main accused Sivaraman had the tendency of attempting suicide as he was consumed rat poison a month ago before he died.

After he was apprehended by the police he broke his leg and admitted in the government hospital at Krishnagiri where he concealed the rat poison in his under garments and consumed it which led to his death, said the AG.

The bench intervened and asked that the main accused has conducted similar fake camps in the past, even though how he was allowed to conduct such camps, what are the actions taken against the school management.

The AG submitted that immediately after the incident came out the principal, owner and others related to incident were apprehended.

A Special Investigation Team(SIT) presided by a IG cadre police officer Bhavaneshwari has been appointed to investigate the case.

A special committee also constituted to conduct a counselling to the parents and girls of the school, with three psychologists, said the AG.

The AG also submitted that the father of the accused died in an inhebirated state at a public road followed by his son's death.

He submitted that there is no suspicion over the death of the accused person's father as his wife also gave a statement that he was addicted to alcohol.

However, the bench refused to accept the submission of the AG and directed to the State to file the details of the investigation and passed over the matter to 2:15pm today.