Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Police Step Up Vigilance Following Sexual Assault of Schoolgirls in Badlapur

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Pimpri Chinchwad, 23rd August 2024: Two schoolgirls were sexually assaulted by a school employee in Badlapur, Thane District. In response, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissionerate (PCPC) has heightened its vigilance to prevent similar incidents. As a precaution, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police have initiated meetings at schools and police stations throughout the city. The police are instructing schools to install CCTVs and conduct thorough background checks on school employees.

Following the strong reaction across Maharashtra regarding the Badlapur incident, the state government has issued a directive outlining safety measures for schools. The guidelines mandate that CCTV cameras be installed in every school within the next month. Schools are also required to review CCTV footage at least three times a week and establish a control room for monitoring. Any inappropriate behaviour detected should be reported to both the police and education authorities. Additionally, schools must provide complete information about their non-teaching staff to the nearest police station.

In this context, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police held meetings with school principals and teachers, instructing them to implement the Maharashtra State Government’s directives. They were also asked to conduct immediate character verifications of contractual workers at the school. Additionally, members of the Mohalla Committees and Peace Committees have been summoned to the police stations and instructed to take measures to maintain peace in the area.

During these meetings, the police instructed school teachers on the safety of children. The teachers also raised concerns about vagrants loitering outside the schools and requested that regular police patrolling be implemented during school opening and closing times.

There are 33 Damini Squads active under the PCPC. These squads are responsible for the safety of school and college girls, as well as women walking on the streets. The Damini Squads visit schools regularly and open grievance boxes to address students’ issues. Previously, the Damini Squads have resolved numerous complaints from female students. In response to the Badlapur incident, the Damini Squads have been instructed by senior officials to be more vigilant.