Mumbai: Eleven staff members of a boarding school were arrested on Friday for the rape of a 10-year-old child in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, 450km from Mumbai.
Another girl is also reported to have been raped.
The shocking incident came to light when the girl went home for Diwali holidays and complained of stomach pain to her parents, only to be found pregnant. The parent informed the local village leader and their complaint was then taken up by the police. The state government has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case since it is likely that several more girls may have been sexually abused in the school in Hivarkhed village. A woman Indian Police Service officer is being appointed to supervise the case.
The police are on the hunt for two more accused; the main accused is a sweeper who works in the school. The police are also investigating whether more students have been sexually assaulted, said Maharashtra Director General of Police Satish Mathur at a press conference in Mumbai Friday.
He said, “One accused, who lives in the school campus, has played an active role in the crime. The other accused were aware of the incident but they did not inform the police.”
“We have taken action immediately after being informed by the local sarpanch [village leader],” said Mathur.
Police are expected to collect more information from students and other staff members once the school reopens, he said.
The main accused has been charged under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and others arrested have been booked under various sections of IPC, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and SC/ST Atrocities Act.
The accused include Itusingh Pawar, the main accused; Bharat Lahudkar, principal; Digambar Karat, teacher; Swapnil Lathe, laboratory assistant; Narayan Ambore, dormitory superintendent; Deepak Kokre, assistant; Vijay Kokre, clerk; Lalita Vajire, women superintendent; and cooks Manthan Kokre and Raut Maushi.
Maharashtra has more than 1,000 residential schools called ‘ashram shalas’, which are run either directly by the state government or trusts supported by the government. Around 445,000 students study in these primary and secondary schools, of which 200,000 are girls.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the government is taking a serious and strict view of this case and in order to prevent such incidents in the future, the government will appoint women officers who will go and talk to girls in schools and ashrams. In case of any such incidents, strict action would be taken, he said.
