Residents of east Bengaluru protested on Sunday demanding stringent action against authorities of a preschool where at least eight cases of alleged sexual assault on children have been reported.
Primarily dressed in black, protesters gathered at the cricket ground behind HAL police station with the intention of raising a voice against ‘tormentors’ who target children.
The protesters held placards with messages such as: ‘Stop child abuse’, ‘(Creation of) sex offenders registry in Karnataka’ and ‘Fast track child abuse cases’.
While the HAL police have filed eight FIRs based on the complaints by parents, the protesters demanded the completion of investigation and filing of the charge sheet within 30 days.
Similarly, they demanded that the recorded statement of the victims be taken within the next four days in front of a magistrate to avoid further traumatising the children. In a signed memorandum to HAL police officers, parents demanded that the school management be charged under Section 16 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The protest saw the participation of police, and Hemant Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru East, assured those gathered that strict action would be taken against those accused and arrested so far.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police Praveen Sood tweeted: “It's not your fight against us...it's our fight against the perverts and sick mentality still prevailing in society.”
