Seven arrested following sexual assault of class 8 girl at unauthorized NCC camp in Tamil Nadu
Krishnagiri: A Class 8 girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by A. Sivaraman, a member of the NTK party, during an unauthorized National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp held at a private school near Bargur.
Following the allegations, seven individuals, including the school correspondent and principal, were arrested on Sunday for failing to report the crime and for conducting the camp without proper permission.
Sivaraman, aged 28 and hailing from Kaveripattinam, has been booked under multiple sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and is currently on the run. The 13-year-old victim, who was staying with relatives in Bargur, attended the NCC camp from August 5 to 9, where Sivaraman served as one of the coordinators. It has been reported that he asked the girl to meet him at a specific location on August 9, where the assault took place.
After the incident, the victim confided in another student, leading to a discussion among peers who then alerted the school principal, A. Sathish Kumar, 39. However, he allegedly dismissed the matter, telling the students not to take it seriously.
Further investigations revealed that Sivaraman had also allegedly harassed at least 12 other girls during the camp. The parents of the victims filed a police complaint on Friday night, prompting inquiries from the school education department and the district child protection unit.
Principal Sathish Kumar was arrested for attempting to conceal the crime, and additional arrests included I. Samson Wesley (52), the school correspondent, teacher A. Jenifer (35), retired CRPF personnel V. Subramani (54), and others involved in the camp's organisation. Both Sivaraman and another suspect, Sudhakar, remain at large.
Superintendent of Police P. Thangadurai stated that four special teams have been formed to arrest the fugitives. The NCC camp was conducted without departmental approval, and inquiries are underway to determine if similar camps were held elsewhere by the arrested individuals.
District Child Protection Officer D. Saravanan reported that they are currently gathering statements from the students, and a sensitization program on the POCSO Act will be conducted in private schools across Krishnagiri district. Collector K.M. Sarayu emphasized the need for counseling for affected children and noted that standard operating procedures were not followed during the camp.
As the news of the incident spread, a significant police presence was deployed near the private school. The District Education Officer, R.V. Ramavathy, indicated that a report will be submitted to the school education department regarding the situation. Parents are urged to report any child-related issues by contacting child helpline 1098 or the police control room at 100.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
