Parents thrash guard for molesting KG student

KOLKATA: Tension gripped a south Kolkata government girls’ school on Thursday after allegations of a security guard molesting at least two kindergarten students surfaced on Wednesday.

Around 250-300 guardians allegedly stormed the residence of the guard and assaulted him, his wife and his children. The guardians said they had first complained verbally to the school authorities. However, the school sought a written complaint.

The

Alipore

police have arrested the guard, Rameshwar Singh (47), and are investigating allegations of him being involved in a similar case in 2015.

He has been charged under

IPC

sections pertaining to molestation and the section 12 of the POCSO Act. The police will lodge a counter case against the guardians for assaulting the guard’s family after getting a formal complaint from the latter.

According to guardians that TOI spoke to, the two girls returned home after school on Wednesday and told their parents how

Singh

had asked them to follow him to his residence after offering them chocolates. The incident occurred around 9am when the school offers the mid-day meal to students.

Around 6.45am on Thursday parents gathered outside the school and to demand action against the suspect. Around 10am, when the school was getting over, the parents forced entry into Singh’s house, which is in the same compound as the school. Parents claimed that Singh and his son had threatened them. Following an argument, the guardians thrashed Singh and his family. Cops then detained Singh and his son. A case was later registered at the Alipore police station.

As parents barricaded the main entrance, they demanded Singh’s arrest, dismissal of all male staffers and installation of

CCTV

cameras.

“The accused had earlier entered the students’ bathroom in 2015, but the school did not sack him. Such behaviour is unacceptable,” said a guardian whose daughter studies in Class I.

The school principal told TOI that she was not aware of a any complaint against Singh in 2015. “Till now, though, we have not received any written complaint. We shall cooperate in the probe,” she said.