None will be spared, vows top cop
City police commissioner, MN Reddi , says chairman of the school will be booked under Section 201 of IPC at the time of filing chargesheet
A couple of days after lower rung staff ‘deliberately’ watered down charges againstRustom R Kerawalla , the chairman of the school in whose premises a six-year-old girl student was allegedly raped by a skating instructor, the city’s top cop vowed that the police force “will do everything possible” to ensure all those who “are directly or indirectly” responsible for crime, get maximum punishment.
Bangalore Mirror had reported on Friday how Kerawalla was booked under bailable sections of law despite instructions from MN Reddi, the new city police commissioner, to book him under a stringent section of theIndian Penal Code (IPC). It resulted in Kerawalla being released on bail . Toned down yet again: How the police helped school chief get bail
sexual attack , so they registered a case against him under Section 202 (rather than the non-bailable 201 which covers destruction of evidence) of IPC,” Reddi said. “We can change the section to 201 at the time of filing a chargesheet. We will ensure he is tried under appropriate sections of the law.”
The maximum punishment under Section 202 of IPC is six months imprisonment, while Section 201 carries seven years imprisonment. Legal experts say the reason such a big deal is being made over the chairman being granted bail is that he was arrested on charges of destruction of evidence. Now that he is out on bail, he could destroy more evidence.
“The chairman is not merely accused of an act of suppression,” a senior police officer confirmed. “It is an act of destroying evidence. The chairman allegedly told some of his staff members not to inform the police about the incident. This in itself is an act of destruction of evidence for which he has to be tried under Section 201 of IPC, certainly not 202.”
Reddi is confident of building a watertight case against the school chairman and the other accused. “If there are inconsistencies in the investigation, we can iron them out at the time of filing a chargesheet,” Reddi said.
Former director general of police, LRevannasiddaiah said Section 201 of the IPC is the apt law under which Kerawalla should be charged. “The rape incident occurred on July 2 and police were informed only on July 14,” Revannasiddaiah said. “When parents began protesting, the chairman spoke to them, but he did not divulge any information on the crime. It is clear that he tried to bury the case. It is a fit case for Section 201.”
Meanwhile, a group of agitating parents, that calls itself ‘The Fighters’, met HR Umesh Aradhya, chairman, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Friday and raised issues concerning safety of children. One of the issues was the watering down of charges.
“We want to know why the section was changed so quickly,” said Major Aditi, leader of the group. “We want to know why other staff involved in the incident have not been arrested. We don’t want the other 3,500 children to suffer.”
A couple of days after lower rung staff ‘deliberately’ watered down charges against
Bangalore Mirror had reported on Friday how Kerawalla was booked under bailable sections of law despite instructions from MN Reddi, the new city police commissioner, to book him under a stringent section of the
Reacting to BM’s exclusive report, Reddi said an investigation was underway into “the commissions and omissions” of his subordinates. “Police at the junior level (Varthur police) felt that the school’s chairman suppressed information on the
The maximum punishment under Section 202 of IPC is six months imprisonment, while Section 201 carries seven years imprisonment. Legal experts say the reason such a big deal is being made over the chairman being granted bail is that he was arrested on charges of destruction of evidence. Now that he is out on bail, he could destroy more evidence.
“The chairman is not merely accused of an act of suppression,” a senior police officer confirmed. “It is an act of destroying evidence. The chairman allegedly told some of his staff members not to inform the police about the incident. This in itself is an act of destruction of evidence for which he has to be tried under Section 201 of IPC, certainly not 202.”
Reddi is confident of building a watertight case against the school chairman and the other accused. “If there are inconsistencies in the investigation, we can iron them out at the time of filing a chargesheet,” Reddi said.
Former director general of police, L
Meanwhile, a group of agitating parents, that calls itself ‘The Fighters’, met HR Umesh Aradhya, chairman, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Friday and raised issues concerning safety of children. One of the issues was the watering down of charges.
“We want to know why the section was changed so quickly,” said Major Aditi, leader of the group. “We want to know why other staff involved in the incident have not been arrested. We don’t want the other 3,500 children to suffer.”
