Violence in Delhi over sexual assault on 7-yr-old

NEW DELHI: A seven-year-old girl was gagged and sexually assaulted inside a room on the first floor of a government school in north Delhi's Mangolpuri area on Thursday. As news of the incident spread on Friday, mobs took to the streets, throwing stones, vandalizing buses and cars, damaging a hospital and robbing kiosks. The police caned the agitators to calm things down. A case was registered in the sexual assault case and, after Friday's violence, police arrested a dozen people for rioting, an officer said. Several people were injured in the stone pelting. By late evening, things calmed down, but police deployments continued. Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit described the sexual assault of the child as inhuman and shameful. Education minister Kiran Walia took up the matter with the mayor, NDMC, and the chief secretary was directed to take action. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights took suo motu cognizance and issued notices to the director, education, North Delhi Corporation. He was told to report within three days on the inquiry carried out and action taken. The girl, a student of Class II at a Mangolpuri NDMC School, went missing during lunch on Thursday. She was found when the school gave over and her mother came to collect her. The traumatized child kept mum on her way home, her mother told investigators. Later at night, the girl broke down and told her mother that a man had locked her in a room and assaulted her on the lower part of her body. When she began crying, the attacker gagged her and threatened to kill her and her family. After abusing the child, the man let her go warning her to keep her mouth shut. Late on Thursday night, the worried parents took her to a doctor, who indicated sexual assault and told the parents to alert the police and rush her to the hospital. On Friday morning, the parents reached the school and demanded an explanation. The police were informed around 9am. The child was taken to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital for an examination that confirmed sexual assault. She was released after preliminary treatment. An ACP is handling the probe. School employees have been questioned. Police said the girl was shaken and in no position to say anything on the identity of the accused. Investigators will seek help of NGOs and councillors to get more details from her. "An inquiry has been ordered. If anyone from the school is found guilty he would be dealt with strictly," said Deepak Hastir, addl commissioner (education). Violent protests broke out in the area around 12 noon. Nearly 500 locals gathered outside the school and marched to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, smashed furniture and equipment, assaulted staff and tried to force their way into the ICU. The crowd then marched to S block. Low-floor DTC buses and cars passing by were vandalized. The agitators tried to set vehicles on fire. TOI