More than 15 boys of the Bairagarh government middle school have complained about being sexually and physically abused by their hostel warden Ajay Sharma. When the matter was reported to the police, police officials accepted the allegations that the boys were only beaten up.
The children have been sexually assaulted and pornographic material has been made. This is over and above the excessive forms of corporal punishment meted out on them. Majority of the children have filed the complaint with the support of Muskaan organization.
While talking to the media persons here on Monday, Muskaan’s Shivani T told that Ajay Sharma who was earlier a teacher in the school joined as hostel warden about a month ago. According to the testimonies of the children, Ajay Sharma would come to their room late at night with a new way to abuse them. Sometimes he would make them have a bath with cold water under a fan, and then take their photographs while they were naked.
He kept these photographs on a laptop and would show them to other children.
On the pretext of applying medicine, he would make the boys take their clothes off and ask them to apply cream on their private parts while taking their videos and photos doing this.
He has also touched three boys himself on this pretext, she added.
Shivani further stated that all the children said they were very uncomfortable about this behavior but he always threatened them that he would kill them or bury them alive if they dared to complain to the Principal.
The children, their parents and the organization have submitted complaints to Childline, Education officers at the district level and Bairagarh Thana.
Muskaan organization has demanded that the warden Ajay Sharma should be immediately arrested and strict action should be taken against him as well as Immediate additions of relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (Section 17 - pornography; Section 7 and 9 - aggravated sexual assault by touching a child's private parts; Section 9 - crime by a person responsible for children's care) and Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 Act against the accused.