Thane erupts as two 4-yr-old girls molested

Mumbai, August 20

Thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at the Badlapur station in Thane and stormed a local school building after the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by the school sweeper in the washroom.

The police cane-charged the protesters, who occupied the railway tracks, pelting stones at policemen. Hundreds of protesters, many of them angry parents, vandalised the school building to express their disgust over the sexual assault.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by senior IPS officer Arti Singh to probe the case.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said action would be taken against the school, adding that the case would be fast-tracked and the guilty won’t be spared. At Badlapur station, incensed protesters were seen shouting “hai, hai” slogans against police officials and demanded death penalty for the sweeper allegedly involved the assault.

Maharashtra Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar said “Vishakha committees” would be formed in schools, which will also face action if CCTV cameras installed on their premises are found to be non-functional. The panels will provide a platform for raising grievances of girl students, especially those in standards 9, 10 and junior college, the minister said.

A notice has been issued to the Badlapur school, and its principal, a few teachers and two assistants have been suspended, Kesarkar said.