A very shocking incident has come to light from Uttarakhand which is also referred as the “the Land of the Gods”. Two autistic brothers, aged 9 and 13, from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, were allegedly raped and physically assaulted. Both were subjected to severe physical and sexual abuse, including cigarette burns and rape.

The gruesome act was carried out by a staff member at an unlicensed boarding school where the brothers studied. The school, “Pencil Box” is only for autistic children with needs in Dehradun. The horrific ordeal came to light last Friday when their mother visited them at the school. Seeing their mother both the children broke down, narrating their horrendous experience at school.

Horrific Details Emerge

According to reports, the mother had admitted her sons to the “Pencil Box” school in April. This comes reportedly after her husband’s death as she found it challenging to manage her job and care for her autistic children. She discovered the school through an online search.

However, upon her recent visit to the school, the children revealed their ordeal. They stated that the accused is 29-year-old Monu Pal (also referred to as Sonu) from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. The boys stated that he would beat them with an iron rod. They further alleged that he would burn them with cigarettes to instill fear and silence, and molest, rape them.

Police Action and Investigation

After hearing their ordeal the mother immediately filed a formal police complaint. Following this, the police swiftly registered a case. Superintendent of Police (Dehradun City), Pramod Kumar, stated that charges have been filed under sections 64(2) (rape) and 115(2) (causing hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have also been added. The accused, Monu Pal, who was residing at the school’s boarding facility, was arrested and sent to jail.

Kumar said, “The accused, who was staying at the school’s boarding facility, was tracked down. He was arrested and sent to jail.” He further said, “We seized the DVR of CCTV cameras installed inside the boarding facility, which was opened three months ago in a four-room residential building. We are also trying to contact the parents of the other two children staying with the two victims”.

Police talks to the Autistic Siblings

Furthermore, the police interviewed the two brothers with the assistance of translators from the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Support from the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) was also taken. Authorities have seized CCTV footage from the boarding house as evidence. They are actively trying to contact the families of two other children who were reportedly living with the victims.

Illegally Run Facility Uncovered

The Chairperson of the SCPCR, Geeta Khanna, revealed significant irregularities in the operation of the boarding school. According to Khanna, the facility was being run by a woman without the necessary legal permits. It was housing for autistic children, including the victims, who slept on bunk beds in the same room as the accused.

Commission chairperson Geeta Khanna said, “A woman was running a special school for persons with disabilities, and first of all, it did not have the necessary permissions to operate such a facility. Recently, they hired the accused, Sonu, but his police verification was not done, and we could not find any appointment letters”.

A separate prep school

The woman also operated a separate prep school for special children nearby with 15 students, four of whom opted for the boarding facility. The trust running the school was registered in Delhi but had failed to inform local authorities about either facility. Khanna stated that the accused, Monu Pal, was hired on May 16, and the abuse began soon after. The sexual harassment allegations have led to the closure of the illegally run boarding school.

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of all children who were associated with the facility. The identity of the victims has been kept confidential, adhering to Supreme Court guidelines.