Tamil Nadu: A minor studying in eighth standard was allegedly sexually assaulted at a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagar district. At least 11 people including the prime suspect and some from the school authorities have been arrested.
Following the incident, the NCC headquarters issued a clarification and stated that it did not conduct any NCC camp in that area and that those involved in the alleged incident have no connection with the NCC.
Confirming that the NCC was not involved in the organisation of the camp, the district administration said swift action was taken to nab nine people on Sunday, while two others were arrested today.
"The police arrested 11 people including the prime suspect, who organised the camp and school authorities, in connection with the sexual assault of a girl and abuse at a fake NCC camp and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases registered against them," collector K M Sarayu told news agency PTI.
Around 41 students, including 17 girls, participated in the fake NCC camp that was organised a week ago on August 19. The incident of sexual assault on the minor girl came to the fore after she told about it to her parents, who then registered a complaint with the police.
The students who attended the fake camp and their parents were being given counselling and psychological support through the district child protection unit, the collector said, as reported by PTI.
She also said that a detailed enquiry was underway by the school education department on such fake camps to ascertain if they were held in the past as well and the schools involved, if any.
The enquiry has revealed that the suspect Sivaraman had conducted five camps earlier in the district. To this, the collector replied that Chief Education Officer of schools was also probing this. "We are also enquiring into other violations," she added.
NCC Issues Clarification
In its press release issued on August 19, NCC clarified that the "incident does not pertain to any of the institutions registered /enrolled with the NCC."
"The personnel involved in the alleged incident have no connection with NCC. Also, no NCC camp was conducted in Krishnagiri district, the NCC headquarters said in a release. This news is an unequivocal misinformation and obscuration of facts with a potential to be misconstrued as involvement of NCC personnel," the release noted.