Chennai: A fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp was organized in a school in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu during which more than a dozen girls were sexually assaulted.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Tamil Nadu Police said that the incident took place in Krishnagiri district, where 11 people, including the principal and two teachers of a private school, were detained.
Police say that a fake NCC camp was set up in the school premises, on which the administrator of the NCC camp was also arrested.
Superintendent of Police, P Thangadurai told the media that the students were brought out of the auditorium where they were staying and sexually assaulted.
He further said that the girls were accommodated on the first floor of the auditorium while the boys were on the ground floor and no teacher was present in the auditorium to supervise the children.
At least one girl was sexually assaulted and a dozen others were sexually harassed in the school’s NCC camp, the police officer said.
The SSP further said that the school principal was aware of the sexual assault of the student but instead of reporting the matter to the police, the matter was suppressed.
Police investigation revealed that the private school where the camp was held did not have an NCC unit. A group approached the school management and convinced them that holding the camp would make the school eligible for the NCC unit.
To which the school principal agreed but allowed the campers to set up camp without any background checks or checks.
The 3-day camp was held in the first week of August and was attended by 41 students out of which 17 were girls.
The police arrested 11 accused, including the principal and 2 teachers, by registering a case under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.
The police are also investigating whether the group has organized similar camps in other schools under the guise of a fake NCC camp.