Maharashtra minister says 15-day footage of Badlapur school missing

MUMBAI: School education minister Deepak Kesarkar on Monday said 15 days of CCTV camera footage from the Badlapur school where two girls were sexually assaulted is missing. He suggested installing panic alarm systems in schools, especially where CCTV cameras can't be placed.

"We found that CCTV footage of 15 days is missing. We have told police to investigate how it went missing. Since the crime was committed near the washroom, we sought CCTV footage and then the committee was told it had gone missing," said the minister.

In the wake of the Badlapur case, he had said stern action would be taken against schools that do not install and maintain CCTV cameras.

The state govt has given Rs 10 lakh and Rs 3 lakh to the parents of the victims and will also support their education till graduation, he said.

Kesarkar said the panic alarm systems can be mounted on walls and students can press them when they sense danger, like in toilets. In the Badlapur case, the suspect targeted the kids in the toilet, where there were no cameras. The minister suggested that schools even connect the panic alarms to police stations.

He made the suggestions after the women and child development department filed its report in the Badlapur case to the state. While he did not share the report's details, he said the state is making efforts to improve women's security.

Kesarkar said the deputy director of education, Mumbai, has conducted a detailed investigation into the case. Various school authorities, including the management, principal and teachers have been found to not have acted as per Pocso Act. The minister said the findings of the education department will be shared with police, who are determining the appropriate charges to be framed against those directly or indirectly involved in the crimes. (With agency inputs)


Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.