New Delhi (Sputnik): The director of a tribal residential school in Sangli in the western Indian state of Maharashtra has been arrested on charges of raping five minor students and molesting three others. Arvind Pawar used to lure students with the promise of free meals and good grades in examinations. Pawar was allegedly assisted by his female aide Manisha Kamble in luring poor tribal girls.
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"The director of the school, Arvind Pawar, and his associate Manisha Kamble have been apprehended by the police in connection with rape and molestation," Vivek Patil, assistant police inspector, told the media.
After questioning the school authorities, as well as the children, five cases of rape and three cases of molestation came to the fore. All the crimes were committed by Pawar with the help of his accomplice, Kamble. The victims were between the ages of 14 and 20.
A case has been registered against Pawar and Kamble under the IPC (Indian Penal Code) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Of late, many incidents of rape and sexual exploitation in Indian boarding schools and shelter homes have come to light.
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Similarly, in August, more than a dozen girls were rescued from a shelter home in Deoria in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh after a girl fled from the shelter home and revealed the plight of the girls living there.
Earlier, this month police arrested four boys and five school officials including the director and principal of a boarding school in the northern state of Uttarakhand with regard to a gang rape involving a 16-year-old female student.