A 14-year-old boy was allegedly thrashed and sexually assaulted by his classmate at a school in east Delhi, said the police on Saturday.
The accused minor has been apprehended and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, an official said. According to the victim’s family, however, the involvement of more students in the assault is suspected.
DCP (East) Apoorva Gupta said the incident occurred on March 18 on the premises of a private school in Vasundhara Enclave, after the victim, a student of Class 8, allegedly got into a fight with the accused. The police were apprised of the matter on April 2.
Mr. Gupta added that as per the victim’s account, his classmate, who was wearing a mask, allegedly threatened him with “dire consequences” if he told anybody about the assault.
Doctors, after examining the victim, confirmed that the boy had been assaulted with a foreign body, Mr. Gupta added.
The police have filed an FIR under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 377 (unnatural offences), and 506 (criminal intimidation), as well as relevant sections of the POCSO Act. The victim has been counselled and further investigation is under way, an officer said.
‘Not eating’
The victim’s 50-year-old mother, a housewife and resident of Mayur Vihar, told The Hindu that her son’s condition has deteriorated greatly following the episode.
“My son has not eaten anything after the assault. He only drinks water. He is very scared, unable to speak, and shivers continuously. I don’t know how he will gather the courage to go back to school,” she said.
The victim’s father passed away a few years ago, and the family’s only salaried member and breadwinner is the victim’s older sister.
According to the victim’s mother, the assault took place after a fight erupted between the classmates on March 13 over a personal remark made against the victim. Five days later, a group of students from Classes 6 to 8 cornered her son after school ended and assaulted him.
“Since it was after the last school bell had rung, there was nobody around to save his life. They told him that if he tells anyone, they would assault his cousin sister — a student at the school — in the same way,” she said.
On March 20, the victim complained to his mother of stomach ache, after which she took him to a doctor for treatment. “On March 28, he complained of pain again, so I took him to a hospital in Noida. The next day, on March 29, doctors asked me if my son had been assaulted,” the victim’s mother said, adding that finally, on April 2, her son mustered up the courage to tell her what had happened.
“For more than 10 days, he kept everything to himself because of the boys’ threats. He was walking differently and had constant stomach pain. I suspected something was amiss, but I could not have imagined that he had been assaulted,” she said.
According to the victim’s mother, the boy is “calm and quiet” by nature. “He never used to fight with anyone. Now, his mental health has completely deteriorated, but we’re hopeful that counselling sessions will help,” she said.
She added that a thorough investigation was their only chance at justice. “With the injuries my son has received, nothing can treat him, physically or emotionally. I request the police to conduct a fair probe to prove to young boys that they cannot bully children,” she said.
‘School uncooperative’
The victim’s mother said the school has not heard their grievances and is refusing to help. “We tried meeting the principal, but I don’t know where he has disappeared,” she said.
The school has not responded to The Hindu’s request for a comment.
She also claimed that four or five boys were involved in the assault, but only one had been apprehended. However, the police held that the victim had only revealed one name to them.
Appendix removed
According to doctors, the victim’s intestines and stomach have been damaged by the assault. His appendix also had to be removed.
“Doctors said that his movement will be restricted for at least six months. We will change his school because it will be traumatising for him to return,” she said.
Following the incident, the parents and relatives of the victim held protests outside the school on April 3, demanding swift action.
