Van attendant, who was allegedly molesting LKG, UKG students, taken into custody

More than 200 anxious parents gathered in front of a private school in Kolapakkam near Porur on Thursday, alleging sexual misconduct by a school van attendant.

The parents were irked by the fact that the school authorities had not responded to their complaints about the van attendant, who had been indulging in sexually misconduct with LKG and UKG students. According to the police, Bhaskar, 48, is the attendant in question at the Lalaji Memorial Omega International School. He accompanies LKG and UKG students in the school van. The alleged sexual abuse came to light when an UKG student refused to board the van and complained to her parents that the attendant was misbehaving with her.

Shocked by her statement, the child's parents asked other parents who send their children by the same van to enquire with their children. As most of the children replied in the affirmative, some of the parents thrashed Bhaskar before taking him to the school on Thursday.

A parent, on condition of anonymity said, “We are shocked that the van attendant misbehaved with a five-year-old child. Where is the question of safety if children are not safe even in a school van? They do not even know what they are going through. How can the management appoint such persons as caretakers? We want the school to take responsibility. The police should immediately look into the case.”

The Mangadu police, led by an inspector, arrived at the scene and took custody of Bhaskar, who was later handed over to the All-Women Police at Poonamallee for interrogation.