Rape Case: Punjab private schools, colleges remain shut over arrest of school chairman, MD

Gurdaspur: Private schools and colleges remained shut in Punjab on Monday in protest against the arrest of a chairman and managing director of a school in a rape case. A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the school premises on March 31.

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Though the accused involved in this incident is yet to be identified, police arrested Sawinder Singh Gill, chairman of the school, and his nephew Jaideep Singh, the managing director, under Section 75 (punishment for cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

The call for the closure of schools and colleges was given by the Federation of Private Schools and Association of Punjab (FAP) and the Joint Association of Colleges (JAC).

Jagjit Singh Dhuri, president of the Federation of Private Schools and Association of Punjab, said around 6,000 private schools and colleges remained shut.

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"Police have not got any clue to find the real culprit but have arrested innocent persons who have no hand in the case,” he said. Dhuri said they will meet senior police officials on Tuesday regarding this case and will demand a high-level probe into the matter.

The Gurdaspur police has done nothing till date but arrested Gill and his nephew, said Dhuri. Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Mukesh Kumar, who is also the head of a five-member special investigation team in the rape case, said investigation is under way.

Vishal Mahajan, member of the FAP, said the incident took place is really condemnable and the real culprit must be put behind the bars but the FIR against the school management must be withdrawn. After the rape incident, relatives of the victim's family had blocked the Pathankot-Amritsar national highway for 10 hours.