Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao on Tuesday visited Ulaipatti, where a section of Dalit children aged between seven and 12 were booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for alleged assault on a group of caste Hindu children, to take stock of the situation.
Speaking to The Hindu after the visit, Mr. Rao said that he spent about three hours in Ulaipatti and surrounding hamlets and did not observe any communal disharmony among the children.
He said that he had instructed the officials, including the District Child Protection Officer and Chief Educational Officer, to provide counselling not only to the children but importantly to the parents as well.
The villagers highlighted issues they were facing due to lack of drainage and other amenities and the Collector assured to rectify them shortly.
The children, against whom the case was booked, were not there in the village during the visit as they were reportedly taken to meet Puthiya Tamilagam president K. Krishnasamy.
On the demand by activists to quash the FIR as it was based on exaggerated allegations over a petty quarrel between children, Mr. Rao said that since a case had been registered, police and the court would decide on the appropriate course of action.
“My visit was to ensure that the case did not affect the communal harmony in the area, particularly among children,” he said.
Meanwhile, members of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front petitioned the Collector on Tuesday evening demanding the quashing of the FIR and registration of a case against the police personnel responsible for registering the POCSO case.
