The Ullal Police will conduct an inquiry into the allegation by the mother of a four-year-old school girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a van driver, that the school and the Government Lady Goschen hospital have revealed the identity of the girl by circulating the girl’s injury certificate.
Police Commissioner S. Murugan told The Hindu that the complaint filed by the child’s mother on May 19 has been referred to the Ullal Police. It will be a case under Section 228 A of the Indian Penal Code (Disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences).
The police will be questioning parents of the girl, the school management and also the superintendent of the hospital, he said.
Denying allegations made against the hospital, its authorities said the preliminary wound certificate, which is now is circulation, was received by the girl’s parents on March 16, which was three days after the girl had been examined.
“The girl’s father has paid Rs. 200 towards charges for the wound certificate and has received the copy on March 16,” a hospital official said.
The official said the wound certificate in medico legal cases is not issued by the hospital to all and sundry. They issue it to the parents if the victim was a minor and to the victim if he or she a major. A charge of Rs. 200 that has been collected is the one prescribed by the State government, the official said.
K. Ashraf, the former Mayor, who is leading the agitation against the school, denied having the knowledge of the parents taking the copy of the wound certificate from the hospital.
School’s version
Meanwhile, the school management has denied the allegation of circulating the wound certificate. “Like others, we too have received a copy of the wound certificate,” said the Chairman of the School and added, “Neither I nor my school is any way involved in releasing the wound certificate. There is no need for us to do it.” The School’s chairman, a retired senior police official, said police inquiry will reveal who has circulated the certificate.
He said there was no question of the school shielding the accused van driver to save its reputation. “There is a group that is trying to close this school,” he said. The accused van driver was not an employee of the school. He had a clean record and his vehicle was being used by parents to bring children to the school, he said.
Girl’s father paid
Rs. 200 towards charges for the wound certificate and received the copy on March 16
A hospital official
