After the alleged rape of a girl studying at the Ashram (residential) school in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra came to light two days ago, another girl from the school on Saturday came forward to lodge a complaint of rape against the same accused, police said.
“Another girl from the school has come forward with complaint of rape against the accused Ittusingh Pawar and we are registering the First Information Report,” said Buldhana Superintendent of Police Sanjay Baviskar late on Saturday evening.
Police on Thursday night arrested 11 persons, including Pawar (23), who worked as a sweeper at the school, and the headmaster, staff and members of the school management after the first case of rape surfaced.
All the arrested persons were remanded in police custody by a local court for a week on Friday While the case was registered against 13 persons on Friday, two are absconding. Staff members of the school were arrested for not reporting the incident to the police.
Ashram shalas are government-run or government-aided residential schools, mainly for tribal children.
Pawar has been charged under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code while others were booked under various other relevant sections.
The first case came to light after former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse was approached by the family of the victim who hails from his Assembly constituency Muktainagar.
According to police, the girl, a class IV student at Nanji Kokare Adivasi Ashramshala at Lokanda Pala in Khamgaon taluka of Buldhana district, told her parents about the rape when she went home for Deepavali vacation. The second girl who came up with complaint today is from the same class IV.
Police are looking for Bharat Vishwasrao Lahudkar, headmaster of primary section, and the clerk Vijay Kokare.
Those who were remanded in police custody include president of the institute which runs the school, Gajanan Kokare, secretary Sanjay Kokare, joint Secretary Purushottam Kokare and the main accused Pawar. — PTI
