Sexual assault of two girls in school van in Pune; driver held

The police confirmed that no woman attendant was present in the private school van. In Maharashtra, school buses or vans must have a woman attendant

The Pune police have arrested the 45-year-old driver of a school van for allegedly sexually assaulting two six-year-old girl students in Pune city, an official said on Thursday.

According to the complaint filed by the mother of one of the minors, the accused was sexually abusing her daughter in the moving bus since last three-four days, besides issuing threats if she revealed the incident to anyone. (HT PHOTO)

The incident took place on board the van when the kids were returning home after attending school in Wanowrie area.

“The accused allegedly touched the private parts of both the girls. One of the girl students later narrated the incident to her mother who then informed the police, and a case was registered,” the official from the Wanowrie police station said.

According to the complaint filed by the mother of one of the minors, the accused was sexually abusing her daughter in the moving bus since last three-four days, besides issuing threats if she revealed the incident to anyone. The minor told the ordeal to her mother when she faced health issues. She said that another minor was also similarly abused by the accused.

The police confirmed that no woman attendant was present in the private school van. In Maharashtra, school buses or vans must have a woman attendant.

A police complaint was lodged on Wednesday and the accused, Sanjay Jetting Reddy, resident of Handewadi Road area in Hadapsar and hailing from Solapur district, was booked and arrested under Sections 64 (punishment for rape) and 65 (2) (punishment for rape on woman under twelve years of age) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

S Raja, deputy commissioner of police (Zone V), said they acted after the mother of one of the minors approached the police. “The accused has been arrested and a probe is underway to ascertain whether any other girl students were similarly targeted in the past,” he said.

The accused was produced in the court on Thursday and granted police custody for five days.

Deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Driver of a school van inappropriately touched a girl student in Pune. Investigation revealed that he targeted another minor also. All educational institutes have been directed to verify and sensitise their staff.”

Speaking at a function in Nagpur on Thursday, Fadnavis said, “Drivers and other school employees should be thoroughly investigated, and their records should be maintained.”

Rupali Chakankar, chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Women, said they have sought a detailed report from the police about the incident. Stern action will be taken against the accused, she said.

Prashant Jagtap, NCP (SP) city unit president, has demanded strict action against the accused driver. Meanwhile, members of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi ransacked the school van when it was brought to the Wanowrie Police Station on Thursday. Police said an FIR related to vandalism will be filed in the case.

The School Bus Association Pune condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the accused driver.

Kiran Desai, president, School Bus Association Pune said, “Most of the schools refuse to ink agreements with bus operators to avoid responsibilities.”

Desai claimed that many schools do not allow them to pick up and drop students from premises. He demanded that all schools should make agreements with bus owners, and bus operators should be allowed to have regular interaction with schools and parents of students.

In his submission, special public prosecutor Nitin Konghe told the court that it is a case of aggravative penetrative sexual assault. To investigate more about places of assault, time, and conduct of his medical examinations and other details, he demanded seven-day police custody.

The incident comes against the backdrop of the Badlapur case wherein a contractual sweeper allegedly sexually assaulted two four-year-old girl students in a school toilet in the town in Thane district, sparking massive protests. The accused, Akshay Shinde, was later arrested. He was killed in an alleged shootout with the police on September 23.

With agency inputs