Sexual assault on minor kids: One more arrested

Police probing the alleged sexual assault on at least eight children by the driver and the cleaner of their school bus in Wani village here, have arrested the president of the education society that runs the school and seized two buses.

'Swastik Bahuuddeshiya Shikshan Sanstha' president Deepak Jiwne was arrested yesterday for negligence in connection with the incident, police said.

With Jiwne's arrest, the number of persons arrested so far has reached four. Police had earlier arrested bus driver Surendra Sav, cleaner Kiran Brahmane and a woman bus assistant on the basis of a joint complaint filed by eight parents, on Friday.
 

The parents had claimed that their wards were sexually assaulted for last one month.

Police also seized two buses in which the alleged crime was suspected to have taken place, a police officer said.

"Deepak Jiwne, president of the education society which runs the 'Dreams Play School', was arrested yesterday," Wani police station inspector Mukund Kulkarni said.

The play school consists of students from Nursery to KG-II in age group of 2.5-6 years. There are a total of 150 students in the school.

Police are also investigating the role, if any, of the lady principal and one of the female directors of the school.

As per preliminary investigation, Surendra and Karan allegedly sexually assaulted the children in the school bus itself while the woman assistant remained a mute spectator, police said.

Surendra and Kiran were booked under sections 376/2 i (rape), 354 a (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 b (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under various provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and the assistant under section 109 (punishment of abetment) of IPC.

All the accused are in police custody and will be produced before court tomorrow for extension of the same, the officer said.

Meanwhile, Jiwne said he could not lodge a complaint against the driver and the cleaner with police earlier "as the parents did not want the identity of their children to be revealed.