The officials also learnt that around three of the six students who were engaged in manual scavenging work belong to Dalit families.
Published Dec 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 19, 2023 | 2:00 PM
NCPCR asks police to the manual scavenging incident. (NCPCR website)
Apex child rights body National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the Karnataka police to probe the reported incident where six students, including three Dalit students, were allegedly forced to clean a septic tank used for human waste disposal.
The NCPCR, in a letter addressed to the Kolar Deputy Commissioner, expressed deep concern over the gravity of the reported incident and sought an action taken report within three days from the date of receipt of the communication.
It urged immediate action against those found guilty in the matter.
The Commission sought the invoking of Section 13(1) of the CPCR Act, 2005, Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009, and Section 75 of the JJ Act, 2015, to ensure a comprehensive and thorough investigation.
The NCPCR further directed authorities to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident and take necessary action against individuals found guilty. The Commission emphasised the seriousness of the matter and called for a prompt and transparent investigation.
The NCPCR has requested an action taken report within three days from the date of receipt of the letter issued on Monday, 18 December.
The school principal and an art teacher were arrested by the Kolar police on Monday, a separate POSCO case has been registered against the art teacher for videographing girl students while they were at their hostel, intruding on their privacy.
The case was registered by the Masthi police following a complaint from the Social Welfare Department Assistant Director V Shivakumar alleging that the school authorities engaged six students for manual scavenging at the residential school’s hostel.
Those named were five members of the school’s staff, including the principal, identified as Bharathamma.
Bharathamma and the school’s art teacher Muniyappa were, after arrest, produced before a magistrate who remanded them in judicial custody.
The officials also learnt that around three of the six students who were engaged in manual scavenging work belonged to Dalit families.
The officials also inspected the living conditions of the students at the hostel, the quality of the food offered, and toilet facilities.
During their interaction with their students, they learnt that the teachers also meted out corporal punishment.
According to the jurisdictional Masthi police, the cleaning incident happened on 1 December.
Muniyappa summoned six students belonging to Class 7 and Class 9 and ordered them to clean one of the chambers of the septic tank.
Two students had to descend into the soak pit to clean the chambers. They complained that they were feeling suffocated, but they were forced to continue.
One of them sustained an injury to the hand while at work, police sources told South First.
The entire cleaning was supervised by Muniyappa, while Abhishek and Manjunath were also present at the spot, along with Bharathamma and Kalavathi.
Muniyappa clicked photographs and even videographed the students cleaning the septic tank, and later uploaded them on social media, the police said.
(With PTI inputs)
