The police have filed a case against the Physical Education Trainer and Principal of Rao’s High School in Hyderabad, after they allegedly made an 11-year-old girl stand in the boy’s washroom as punishment.
The RC Puram police booked a case under sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 339 (wrongful restraint) and 503 (criminal intimidation) against them based on the complaint of activists and the girl’s father.
However, the accused PE trainer remained defensive of her actions, and said that the media has been misinterpreting the story. She said that the girl was just made to stay outside the class, which was next to the boys’ washroom.
Hyd Rao’s School PET says she just made the Class 5 girl stand outside the classroom that was right next to boys' toilet #SaveOurKids pic.twitter.com/cf3SEp4H6b
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 11, 2017
Rubbishing the claims of the PE trainer, the girl’s father, Ramakrishna said that her daughter was indeed closed off in the boy’s washroom.
Father of Class 5 girl student at Hyderabad’s Rao School contradicts school’s version #SaveOurKids pic.twitter.com/WUF8tFDfYE
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 11, 2017
The class V student was allegedly humiliated by a non-teaching staff member for not wearing the school uniform.
Traumatized by the incident, the girl refused to go to school and cried about the shameful treatment meted to her to her father. He later approached the school management, only to be ignored.
Even IT Minister KT Rama Rao had expressed shock at the incident.
Achyuta Rao, President of city-based child rights NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham, said, "Most of the sections are bailable, and it is only if the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) is invoked that actual action will be taken. They have mentally harassed the child to an extent, that it is nothing short of abuse".
“These kind of incidents are worrying, and only seem to be on the rise. We must pay attention to the safety and security of our children. Just suspending a teacher will not suffice for a private school. Action must be taken against the chairperson and principal,” he added.