Karnataka: Four held in connection with assault on differently-abled boy
Bagalkote (PTI): Four people were taken into custody on Saturday in connection with the assault on a differently-abled boy, after a few videos of the incident went viral, police said.
The footage allegedly shows the boy being physically assaulted at a residential school in the city.
The assault occurred three months ago, and the matter came to light after the video of the incident was shared with the 16-year-old boy's parents by a former worker of the school, they added.
In one of the videos, a man was seen beating the boy with a belt and a pipe, while pinning him down with his foot as the teen screamed for help.
Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal said the school for differently-abled children is run by a husband-and-wife duo.
"As per the video in circulation, the couple is seen hitting the 16-year-old boy with a pipe and other objects," he said.
The boy's parents filed a complaint, based on which an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act, Goyal confirmed.
"We have secured the couple and two caretakers working at the school as part of the investigation. Due process will be followed," he added.
Noting that the incident occurred three months ago, the SP said the video was recorded by a staff member at the time. "After being removed from work, the person shared the video with the boy's parents, who then approached the police," he said.
Police are also verifying the role of other caretakers at the institution, Goyal said, adding that the support of the Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled Persons and the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) has been sought.
Legal action will be taken against those found responsible after a thorough investigation.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
