Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, May 22: Mangalore One school, Chembugudde which has been in the eye of the storm following the sexual assault of one of its LKG students allegedly by the school van driver Madhukar, has issued a clarification to the media on various charges, stating that there has been no negligence on the part of the school, and alleging that the case has been 'politicized' and 'communalized by vested interests'.
The incident took place on March 13 this year. In the days following the incident, the United Muslim Organization, DK district, and also the parents of the victim, accused the school of non-cooperation and a 'cover-up.
The statement from Mangalore One school reads as follows:
"Unfortunately a straight forward case of crime has been politicized and communalized by vested interests. There has been lots of outcry for prosecution of the school management for their so-called negligence. The main charges against us and our replies are as follows:-
"(1) Charge number 1 - Management employed accused driver without verification : It is not true. The driver had no previous bad record. In our school he has been working since 3 years, and earlier he worked in Kanachur school for 7 years. All these years there were no complaints against him.
"(2) Charge number 2 - Management tried to coverup the incident (to save reputation) : No, not at all. The incident was reported to school around 4p.m. Immediately the same was reported to police. The police came to the school within half-an-hour and arrested the driver. Thus our action was very fast! There was never any attempt to hide the incident.
"(3) Charge number 3 - Management protecting driver and misleading investigation: We believe that molestation of a small girl child is the worst of all crimes. Nobody should and nobody can protect the accused. The police at the highest level (viz CID) is conducting investigation. They will definitely do full justice. For us justice (not reputation of school) is important.
"(4) Charge number 4 - Management is insensitive to girl child : The Management (including chairman and principal) have visited the child in the hospital and assured full justice to the family. Secondly we are ready to provide free education to the child: if she joins the school.
"Finally please note that the police, the press, the NGOs, other departments of government (viz education, women and child and DC): have all conducted indepth enquiries into negligence of the management, and found nothing against the management.
"No closing: Finally there are rumours of our school closing down spread by our enemies. These are totally false indeed our school is opening with greater student strength in the first week of June 2015."