NEW DELHI: After two nursery students, four-year-old girls, were sexually abused by the sweeper of a reputed school in Thane district, protests erupted at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday where local trains were stopped and agitators blocked the tracks.
CPRO Central Railway said, “Local trains stopped at Badlapur railway station where protesters agitated against the alleged sexual assault incident with two minor girls at a school in Badlapur.”
Residents in Badlapur protested against the sexual abuse of two minor girls which occurred last week.Local train movement has been affected as protests are underway at Badlapur Station. Police have arrested a person in the case. The parents came to know about the incident on August 18 and filed an FIR.
Two four-year-old nursery students were allegedly sexually abused by a newly hired sweeper at an English medium school in Thane district. The 24-year-old accused was arrested on Saturday, but the parents of the victims expressed their dissatisfaction with the police’s handling of the case. They claimed that the FIR was registered more than 12 hours after the complaint was lodged, and only after the intervention of the District Women and Child Welfare Department.
The school administration on Monday suspended the principal, class teacher, and female attendant, holding them responsible for the incident.
The school administration has also come under scrutiny for allowing a male sweeper, who was hired on August 1, to accompany the young girls to the washroom. The incident came to light when one of the girls confided in her grandfather about the sexual abuse by the school staff member when he would take her and her friend to the washroom. The family then discussed the matter with the other girl’s parents, who revealed that their daughter had recently become afraid to go to school.
The families took the four-year-olds for a medical check-up with a private doctor, who confirmed that the girls had been sexually abused. They then approached a local MNS leader who accompanied them to the police station on Friday at 12.30 pm. However, instead of promptly recording the parents’ statements and registering an FIR, the police station in-charge, Shubhada Shitole, allegedly made them wait for hours, stating that they needed to verify the claim first. Sources claimed that a police team visited the school but were informed that the CCTV cameras had not been functioning for the past few days.
It was only after the District Women and Child Welfare Department intervened, police registered a case under the Pocso Act past midnight. On Saturday morning, police also got the girls’ medical examination conducted at a govt hospital as a private medical test is not valid in court.
The police station incharge, Subhada Shitole, has been transferred to the special branch by Thane police for delaying the registration of the FIR when the parents of the child approached the police station.
Locals said that along with citizens, rickshaw union, traders’ union, jewellers association, and now some political parties have also come forward to join the bandh. The accused, who was hired by the school on August 1, will remain in police remand until August 21.
Rajya Sabha MP from UBT Sena, Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her deep concern and condemned the incident.
“Two young girls were sexually assaulted in Badlapur, Maharashtra in the school premises; the entire state is outraged and seeks justice. I once again urge the President to approve the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, so that no other child or woman faces this travesty. Shame on the state government to continue to ignore the safety of women,” she posted on X.