A report submitted by Krishnagiri District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) regarding penetrative sexual assault on one schoolgirl and sexual abuse of many others during a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp conducted at a private school between August 5 and 9 is “shocking,” said Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) D. Krishnakumar on Thursday. Presiding over the first Division Bench along with Justice P.B. Balaji, the ACJ asked the police as to how the dubious organisers of the fake camp were in possession of weapons such as an air gun and a pistol, which they had brazenly displayed to the 41 children who attended the five-day camp, conducted on school premises after a payment of ₹1,500 per participant. The ACJ said the DLSA team had visited the school on multiple occasions and interacted with the children to know about the crime. The students had revealed that the sexual assault had taken place when they were deputed on night sentry duty during the camp. They had also disclosed that a campfire was held, where the organisers and students played songs and danced. The prime accused A. Sivaraman (who subsequently died by suicide after his arrest) had participated in the revelry and touched the children inappropriately. The children were also threatened that “their little fingers would be chopped off” if they divulged details of the fake camp with their classmates, friends, teachers, parents, or any other outsider. “The DLSA report states that four or five of the students subjected to sexual abuse are toppers in academics but their parents are unwilling to send them to school pursuant to the horrific incident,” the ACJ told advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam, who had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, and he replied that it was quite a natural reaction of the parents, who would also require counselling. On his part, Advocate General P.S. Raman told the court that the private school management was guilty of two charges. The first charge was that of criminal negligence because they had permitted a fake camp to take place within their campus. The second was the more serious charge of having attempted to hush up the entire issue after the victims and their parents came forward with a complaint. He said the police had made several arrests in connection with the crime and the investigation was proceeding at a brisk pace. However, on going through the statement of the arrested school correspondent, I. Samson Wesley, the judges found that he had claimed to have come into contact with the prime accused Sivaraman only through an individual named Bhuvan. When the ACJ wanted to know why Bhuvan had not been arrested and whether any inquiry had been conducted with respect to his connections with Sivaraman, the Investigating Officer replied she was probing the matter and would take appropriate action in a few days. Unhappy with the response, the ACJ said the police did not appear to be conscious of the seriousness of this case. His Bench granted the investigating officer time till September 19 to go through the DLSA’s report and submit her response before the court could reserve orders on the PIL plea to order a CBI probe into the issue. (Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416. and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050) Published – September 12, 2024 08:09 pm IST