Janakpuri school probe: Teacher held for concealing alleged assault

New Delhi: Police arrested a woman teacher in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl at a private school in west Delhi’s Janakpuri, days after a 57-year-old school caretaker named in the case was granted bail.Investigators said the teacher allegedly cleaned the child after the incident and failed to report it. The arrest was made based on evidence collected during the investigation. The teacher, who taught multiple subjects at the school, was produced before a court.A senior police officer said, “For the purpose of investigation police sought two-day police custody remand of the female teacher. After hearing arguments, the court has granted one day police custody remand.”Investigators are trying to establish the exact sequence of events, which has been challenging given the child’s age.According to police, the incident allegedly took place on April 30. On May 1, the child fell ill and informed her mother about the alleged assault. Based on the complaint, Janakpuri police registered an FIR under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.The child identified the school caretaker, following which he was arrested and sent to judicial custody. On May 7, however, a Dwarka sessions court granted him bail, noting that CCTV footage showed him away from the alleged crime scene at the relevant time and that the medico-legal examination did not reveal any injuries or marks on the child’s body.While granting bail, the court directed the caretaker to stay away from the school premises until the conclusion of the trial. Police said they earlier challenged the bail order before the Delhi High Court.