Bring guilty to book: PM to Delhi top cop after school vandalism

A Christian school was vandalized by unidentified persons in the wee hours of Friday in the sixth attack on Christian establishments in New Delhi in three months that prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to summon Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi and order a crackdown on those involved in such incidents.

Police and authorities of Holy Child Auxilium school in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar claimed that the attack was a case of robbery. Human Resources Development minister Smriti Irani, who is an alumnus of the school, visited the campus and met the school principal.

Police said the office of the school principal was ransacked by a group of unidentified persons and six CCTV cameras found destroyed and a donation box was also missing.

After the incident, the school was shut on Friday.

“It is not a case of desecration, as per our preliminary investigation,” Bassi said, adding, “It is an incident of robbery.”

A senior police official said a case has been registered.

Expressing “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in the Capital, the PM asked the police commissioner to speedily investigate the recent incidents of vandalism and ensure that the guilty are brought to book.

Modi also spoke over telephone to Union Home Secretary L C Goyal and asked him to “pay special attention to the rising incidents of crime, and vandalism, and to work towards ensuring the safety and security of women in the Capital,” an official release said.

“The PM told me to take strict action against the perpetrators of such attacks,” Bassi said after meeting Modi.

Delhi Chief Minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal condemned the attack. “I strongly condemn the attack on Holy Child Auxilium school. These kind of acts will not be tolerated,” he tweeted.

Later talking to reporters, Bassi said the police is serious in investigating the cases which have occurred so far and efforts are on to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called me today at his office and expressed his great worry on the incident pertaining to Holy Child school. He enquired about the details of various incidents which have occurred in recent months,” he said, adding, “I told him about the details and also the efforts we have made about the security of the churches and he has directed me that Delhi police should do its utmost to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future. Whatever is required to investigate the existing cases and ensure enhanced security of churches should be done”.

School authorities also claimed it to be a case of robbery.

“When the maid came to open the school, administrative office and principal’s office were open. We found that six CCTVs were damaged and the principal’s office was found ransacked, all cupboards were ransacked and all papers were thrown away. Around Rs 12,000 cash is also missing,” Sister Lucy, the school's principal, said.

She also said that the cameras inside the corridor were destroyed but the cameras outside are intact and the police is investigating and scanning the footage.