Sexual abuse of girl children at fake NCC camp in Krishnagiri | Plea in Madras High Court seeks CBI probe

PIL filed in Madras HC for CBI probe into sexual abuse at fake NCC camp, seeking justice for victim children.

A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into complaints of many girl children having been abused sexually at a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp conducted at a private school in Krishnagiri district between August 5 and 9.

The PIL petition is expected to be listed for hearing before the first Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar and Justice P.B. Balaji on Monday. Advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam had filed the petition on Friday in order to ensure a just and fair investigation into the sordid affair involving schoolchildren.

The petitioner, in his affidavit, stated that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had on August 21 taken suo motu cognisance of news reports regarding the sexual abuse in the fake NCC camp and called for a status report from the Chief Secretary as well as the Director General of Police within two weeks.

The NHRC had taken note that 41 students, including 17 girl children, had participated in the fake NCC camp and as many as 13 girls were reported to have been sexually abused. Since such fake camps had been reportedly organised in four other schools too, the commission wanted to know if there were any more victims.

When people were expecting the police to report progress to the NHRC, news reports began trickling on Friday that the prime accused in the sexual abuse case, A. Sivaraman, had died at Salem government hospital where he had been admitted after he reportedly consumed rat poison due to fear of arrest.

Stating that his death was shrouded in mystery, the litigant said, the real perpetrators behind the conduct of the fake NCC camps and the consequent sexual abuse of girl children in those camps could be brought to book only if the investigation was transferred from the Krishnagiri police to the CBI.

He pointed out that even the NHRC, in its press release, had highlighted that as per news reports, some politician had convinced the private school managements to conduct the camps after promising them that he would help in establishing NCC units in those schools if they agree to his request.