School director held on charges of rape
Director of a residential school for tribals in Sangli district of Maharashtra has been arrested on charges of allegedly raping at least five students and molesting three others, police said on Wednesday. Some of the rape victims have reported to be minors.
According to the police, the accused who has been arrested was involved in sexual exploitation of students on pretext of promising them good marks on exams. He also used to lure them of providing free education in the school.
The school is located at Kurlap in Walva tehsil of Sangli in western Maharashtra.
The director, Arvind Pawar (61), used to approach the victims through his aide Manisha Kamble (40) with the promise of free food, free education and good marks in exams, he said.
"The director of the school, Arvind Pawar, and his aide Manisha Kamble have been apprehended by the police in connection with rape and molestation," said Assistant Police Inspector Vivek Patil, in-charge of the Kurlap Police Station.
The incident was reported after an anonymous letter mentioning wrongdoings in the school was received by the police on Tuesday.
Following the receiving of the letter, a female police office paid a visit to the school in plain clothes and inquired some girl students, who narrated their ordeal, Patil said.
The accused director had allegedly raped at least five students between the age group of 14 to 20, over a period of time, which was revealed during the enquiry.
During investigation, the girls told the police that they were being exploited since the last two years.
His aide Kamble used to approach girl students with the promise of providing free food and education. After luring the victims, she would send them on the third floor of the school building, where Pawar used to sexually assault them, he said.
A raid was conducted at the school premises on Wednesday by the police, officials of the Child Welfare Department and members of the local Women and Child Welfare Committee, he added.
An offence against the duo has been registered by the police, under relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said.
"We have informed parents of the victims and shifted all the students to another school," he said, adding that a probe into the matter was underway.
