Mentally Challenged Siblings Allegedly Sexually Harassed By Uttarakhand School Caretaker

Two mentally challenged brothers from Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district were allegedly beaten and sexually harassed by the caretaker of a boarding school in Dehradun, the police said. Their statements will be recorded in a court, the cops added.

A police officer investigating the case said the statements of the two brothers, aged nine and 13, will be recorded with the help of experts on Tuesday.

The boarding school for 'special children', located in the Banjarawala area, was opened only four months ago and has been closed temporarily. A third boy has also been removed from the school by the Child Welfare Committee, the officer said.

The children's mother had lodged a complaint at Patel Nagar police station, following which a case was registered against the accused, Monupal, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

He has been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

Police said the accused, 29-year-old Monupal, a resident of Indrapur Hedi village in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh and currently residing at Kargi Chowk in Dehradun, is a diploma holder in special child care.

According to police, CCTV footage seized during the investigation shows him beating the boys with kicks, punches and elbows.

Medical examinations of the children were conducted, and experts were brought in to interpret their language, police added.

Uttarakhand Child Rights Protection Commission chairperson Dr Geeta Khanna expressed concern over the incident and said the Commission will direct district magistrates to ensure physical verification of all hostels, particularly those for special children, and to set clear standards for their management.

"How we live in our homes is our wish, but how we keep other people's children cannot depend on our wish. Standards should be set for that," Dr Khanna said.

She added that she will arrange medical tests for the two brothers to determine whether their intellectual disability has a genetic cause and will facilitate treatment if possible

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)