BJP seeks HC-monitored probe into Latehar sexual abuse case involving minors

The BJP on Sunday demanded that the alleged sexual abuse case involving multiple minor girls at a missionary school in Latehar be investigated under the supervision of the Juvenile Justice-cum-POCSO Monitoring Committee of the Jharkhand High Court.

Addressing a press conference at the state BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Ajay Sah accused the state government of failing to act on the matter despite serious allegations of prolonged sexual abuse by a school official. He alleged that senior bureaucrats, including the Education Secretary and district authorities, were attempting to suppress the case instead of following due legal procedure.

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Sah said that despite direct testimonies from students, no FIR has been filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He cited Sections 19 and 21 of the Act, which make failure to report such offences a punishable crime. He also referred to the Supreme Court ruling in Shankar Kisanrao Khade vs. State of Maharashtra, emphasising the legal obligation to inform both the police and child welfare authorities.

In an audio clip played at the briefing, girl students are heard accusing a school Father of repeated abuse over the past two years. Sah questioned why the matter was not referred to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the POCSO Court within the mandated 24-hour period.

The BJP demanded immediate registration of an FIR under the POCSO Act and called for legal proceedings under Section 21 of the Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, against officials who failed to report or acted to suppress the case.

The party further stated that the incident highlights systemic failures in Jharkhand’s child protection framework and called for institutional accountability, particularly within the Education Department.