School peon sentenced to life for raping mentally challenged girls

The man, who used to serve the students, had allegedly raped them in the school washroom in separate instances

A special POCSO court on Monday sentences a peon working at a school in Makhurd to life imprisonment for raping two mentally challenged minor girls. The accused has been asked by the court to pay a fine of Rs50,000.

The court convicted the accused on the basis of the medical evidence and the girls’ statements. (REPRESENTATIONAL PHOTO/HT)

According to special public prosecutor Vaibhav Baghade, the girls were admitted in a home for mentally challenged maintained by the social justice department. They, along with 23 other selected children, had been admitted to a school in Makhurd under the ‘Sarva Siksha Abhiyan’ scheme.

On March 21, 2014, an officer from the social justice department who dealt with the children home complained to the school administration that the girls had been molested and raped by the accused. It was claimed that the girls had confided about the incident to the child welfare officer in the children home.

On receipt of the complaint, the school verified the account with the girls. The man, who used to serve the students, had allegedly raped them in the school washroom in separate instances. The girls, however, were unable to recall the specific date of the incident.

It was contended that the girls were first sent for medical examination to JJ hospital which ruled out the sexual assault. However, with the permission of the court, they were referred to another hospital which confirmed that the two were sexually assaulted.

On the basis of the medical evidence and the girls’ statements, the court convicted him.