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Pune IAS officer arrested for raping, molesting minor girls
A 58-year-old Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was arrested in Pune for allegedly raping a minor girl and sexually assaulting three others.
A 58-year-old Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer was arrested in Pune for allegedly raping a minor girl and sexually assaulting three others.
According to police, Maruti H Sawant, the director general of Maharashtra council of agricultural education and research, was a frequent visitor to his father-in-law's apartment on Sinhgad road, where the alleged assaults took place. Many school girls came to play in the parking lot of the apartment, and there Sawant used to lure them by offering money, biscuits and chocolates.
Then he would take them to his father-in-law's flat, make them watch obscene content on his computer and sexually assault them. The girls, studying in third, fifth and seventh standard, informed their school counselor about the series of assaults.
Though only four girls have come forward till now, the police suspect that the officer might have asault more.
“Shocked at the incident, the school counselor immediately informed the head mistress, who in turned took the help of the local BJP corporator Srikant Jagtap. Jagtap and his wife immediately informed police,” said inspector Balwant Kashid of Sinhgad station.
Sawant has been charged under sections 376 (rape), 354 (molestation), section 6, 8, 10 of protection of children from sexual offences Act and section 67 of Information Technology Act under the Indian Penal Code.
Sawant, who was promoted to IAS in 1998, was taken to Sassoon hospital for medical examination after arrest. He is a resident of Shivaji nagar area.
