Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged sexual assault of a schoolgirl and the sexual harassment of 12 others at a fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camp in Krishnagiri district.
The accused posing as NCC trainers had conducted a three-day camp at a private school.
The fake trainers have been accused of holding similar camps in other schools and colleges. Cops are now probing any incident of sexual offence was reported from those institutions.
Eleven individuals, which included five fake trainers, and four teachers including the principal have been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Investigators say the teachers and the school leadership tried to cover up the incident. They did not inform the cops despite knowledge of the incident and had allegedly asked the students to not take it seriously.
The state government has also constituted a multi-disciplinary team, led by the Social Welfare Secretary and comprising bureaucrats and activist Vidya Reddy, to identify causes and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The team is expected to submit its report within 15 days.
The Chief Minister has directed the SIT to file a charge sheet within 60 days, ensuring swift action against the perpetrators.