New Delhi: A case involving the sexual assault of a three-year-old nursery student at a private school in Delhi’s Bawana has come to light. Police have arrested a school bus driver in connection with the incident, officials said Monday.
The accused, identified as Vikas, had been working as a bus driver at the school for around eight months. According to police, he allegedly befriended the child by offering her chocolates and subsequently sexually abused her on multiple occasions.
Police arrested Vikas from the school premises after the child’s identity and allegations were established during the investigation.
The case came to light on the night of August 19, when the child’s family noticed injury marks on her body and became concerned about her condition.
When the child’s mother questioned her about what had happened, the girl reportedly spoke about a “bad uncle” at her school who used to give her chocolates. As the three-year-old was unable to identify the man by name, the family approached the school administration and sought its help in finding out who the person was.
August 24, the child was shown photographs of school staff and CCTV footage from the school premises as part of efforts to identify the person she had mentioned. Police said the girl identified Vikas as the man she had referred to as the “bad uncle”.
Following the identification, the school informed the police about the matter. An FIR was subsequently registered under the relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, following which the accused school bus driver was arrested.
According to the allegations being investigated by police, the accused followed the girl when she was going towards the bathroom. He allegedly offered her chocolates and then touched her inappropriately under the stairs of the school.
During the investigation, police also seized the accused’s mobile phone. Officials said the device contained several videos showing him feeding chocolates to young children.
Police are now working to identify the children seen in those videos. The children are also being counselled as part of the ongoing investigation and to ensure their safety and well-being.
Investigators have also collected and seized CCTV footage from cameras installed at different locations on the school premises. The footage is being examined to establish the sequence of events and determine whether there were any other instances involving the accused.
Further investigations are underway, and details are awaited.