Maharashtra: 3 teachers held for molesting students in Akola school

Three teachers of a central government-run school at Babulgaon in Akola district were arrested on Saturday in connection with the molestation of 55 students of the school.

Three teachers of a central government-run school at Babulgaon in Akola district were arrested on Saturday in connection with the molestation of 55 students of the school.

The teachers have been identified as Rajan Gajbhiye, 42, Shailesh Ramteke, 49, and Sandip Ladkhedkar, 42, police said.

The Akola Civil Lines police station in-charge, who is investigating the matter, said the trio was absconding since the FIR was registered against them on April 1. The police were tracking the mobile phones of Gajbhiye and Ramteke and found they were in Amravati, and later moved to Nagpur.

“On the basis of this information, both were apprehended in Nagpur early on Saturday,” said DD Dakhne, the station-in-charge of Akola Civil Lines police station.

According to school sources, Gajbhiye used to teach chemistry, Ramteke is a Biology teacher while Ladkhedkar works as a physical education teacher.

The sexual assault of students came to light when Dr Asha Mirge, state women’s commission member, got a signed letter from some of the students a few days ago. She brought it to the notice of the district administration, leading to action against the teachers.

Dr Mirge told HT the girls, who are in their teens, have said the two arrested teachers had been molesting them, making sexual advances and using obscene language with them for the past two years.

The Akola police have registered cases against the teachers under various sections of Indian Penal Code, and the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act.