Krishnagiri: An investigation into a fake NCC camp held at a private school in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district has revealed a shocking case of sexual assault and harassment. A 13-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly sexually assaulted, while 12 other female students were sexually harassed by the camp organizers.
The camp, which was held earlier this month, was not authorized by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and was conducted by a group of individuals who claimed to be affiliated with the organization. The school authorities have been accused of being negligent and complicit in the incident.
Sivaraman, a NaamTamilarKatchi functionary (now expelled) who was absconding has now been arrested for sexually assaulting the schoolgirl.
School authorities were aware of the offences but chose to suppress matter: DSP
“Investigation is going on regarding the sexual assault of a schoolgirl. The school did not follow proper procedures regarding the camp. 4 special forces have been formed after receiving a complaint in this regard and 11 people have been arrested so far,” Krishnagiri District Collector Sarayu said.
“The District Child Protection Unit investigates the affected girls and provides necessary counseling and psychological support. The persons involved in the incident and those who tried to cover up the crime have also been arrested under the POCSO Act. The accused was involved in this crime by holding a fake camp and the people were brought from outside. An investigation is also being conducted to see if any other schools have conducted such fake camps. Complaints of sexual harassment and violence can be reported by contacting the number 1098,” the District Collector further added.
The investigation has revealed that thethe private school had no NCC unit and a group approached the school management with the claim that hosting such a camp would qualify them for one. But the school did not conduct background checks on the individuals before hiring the group for the camp.As many as 41 students, including 17 girls, participated in the three-day camp held earlier this month.
DSP P Thangadurai said “School authorities were aware of the offences but chose to suppress matter…students were allegedly instructed to not take it seriously.”
Eleven people, including the organizer of the so-called camp, the school’s principal, three teachers, and the correspondent have been arrested.
NCC denies involvement, calls it ‘Misinformation’
Meanwhile, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) denied any involvement in the alleged sexual harassment incident at a fake NCC camp in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. The NCC had no camp in the area and the individuals involved are not affiliated with the organization. This is a case of misinformation.
