Bangaluru: After noting that some of the schools are yet to implement child-safety guidelines imposed three months ago in view of cases of sexual assault on girl students, the Karnataka High Court on Friday lifted the restriction imposed on the police from filing charge sheets against schools for failing to adhere to the guidelines.
“As both the time granted by the government to schools for implementing safety guidelines and extended by the court have expired, it is now open to the police to proceed against such schools if the safety guidelines are not implemented and steps not taken to secure safety of children,” the court said.
Justice A.N. Venugopala Gowda passed the order while modifying its September 17 order, in which it had asked the police to adopt handshake method with school managements to enforce safety norms and not to file charge sheets.
“Now no need to adopt handshake methods as the incidents of sexual assault on children are on the rise and the need of the hour is effective implementation of the guidelines,” the court ordered after it was pointed out to it that the police have completed probe on Cambridge School with regard to disobedience to implement safety norms and wanted to file charge sheet against the school heads.
Expressing displeasure about the commitment of both the government and the private schools on ensuring safety of children, the court said the government issues a series of guidelines but has no mechanism to implement them, and the private school managements lack initiative to implement the child-safety system.
