Badlapur sexual assault case: CCTV footage missing from school, says Maharashtra Minister

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 27 (ANI): Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said that the CCTV footage of the last 15 days is missing from the school in Badlapur where two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted.

Kesarkar said, “The CCTV footage of the last 15 days is missing from the school. It is important to investigate why the footage has gone missing and what the motive behind it is.”

He also said panic buttons can be installed in schools just like CCTVs.

“Just like CCTVs, panic buttons can also be installed…A panic button can also be installed in the hostels. It is an advanced technology,” said Kesarkar while addressing a press conference in Mumbai.

“Under the leadership of the deputy director of the Mumbai region, the investigation team probed the Badlapur incident. People from various departments were involved in the investigation. The police will decide under which sections the cases will be filed. The people who have been found negligent have been identified as co-accused. They also have to face consequences,” said the Maharashtra Education Minister.

Notably, a report prepared by the Women and Child Welfare Department and the Education Ministry in the sexual abuse case of Badlapur was handed over to Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar on Monday.

Earlier, the special investigation team (SIT) for Badlapur sexual assault against minors registered an FIR against the school authorities, for not complying with the provisions of Section 19 of the POCSO Act, which mandates that every authority, when they come to know about any such kind of sexual assault against minors, are obligated to report this to police authorities for further action.

The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur has sparked outrage. On August 17, police arrested an attendant of the school for allegedly abusing the girls.