Officials of a top boarding school in Dehradun will be questioned by the local police after a zero FIR was filed in Assam under the Prevention of Children Under Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The FIR has been transferred to Dehradun police.
“Assam police has transferred us zero FIR. We will investigate the matter and talk to the concerned parties,” said Ajay Singh, senior superintendent of police.
This came after the parents of a male student decided to withdraw him from the school alleging “abuse by seniors”. The male child, who hails from Assam, was a class VIII student at the school. An official of the school informed that the child parents had in July this year asked for his transfer certificate as they decided to withdraw him from the boarding school.
As per information, earlier in May, just before the school is closed for the summer vacations, the mother of the child visited the school. She also expressed concern about “abuse by seniors” with the school authorities.
“We held counselling sessions with the child and formed an internal committee to investigate the allegations. Our school has a legacy, we will fully cooperate with the police,” said the official.
Uttarakhand, particularly Dehradun, Mussoorie and Nainital, are known for some of the finest public schools. Several top political leaders, actors, sportsmen have studied at these boarding schools over the past few decades.
However, the allegations of abuse mushrooming in the recent years, inside the school campuses, have rocked the education fraternity. In 2018, a boarding school in Dehradun came under the spotlight after a minor student’s pregnancy was forcefully terminated by the school management.
In another case reported in 2014, parents of a student filed a complaint under POCSO act against the management of a Nainital based boarding school. They then alleged that the student was sexually abused. The court found the security guard guilty, while the principal was acquitted.
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