The investigation into the rape of a six-year-old student in a private school in Marathahalli, Bangalore, has taken a U-turn with the police now claiming that the girl was gang-raped. What’s more, they now say that Mohammed Mustafa, earlier arrested as the prime accused, was not directly involved in the incident.
The Bangalore City police arrested two gymnastic instructors of the school on Monday in connection with the crime that occurred on July 3. It was 10 days ago that Mustafa was arrested.
Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi told presspersons here on Tuesday that the two arrested were the school’s gymnastic instructors Lal Giri (21) and Wasim Pasha (28), who had previously been detained and arrested before being let off due to lack of evidence. Incidentally, Mustafa, Giri and Pasha are among the five already dismissed from the school.
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The two arrests, Mr. Reddi said, were made based on confirmatory evidence, statements made by the victim and also circumstantial evidence.
“The two gymnastic instructors have confessed to the crime,” he said. Giri had been working in the school for the last two years, while Pasha had been working for three years.
Both of them have been booked under 376 (D) for gang-rape and sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act 2012.
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Police said Mustafa had been arrested on the suspicion of being involved in the rape, but the investigation had now led to evidence against the two gym instructors. The police said they did not suspect the involvement of anyone else besides the two held.
“Though the investigation shows that Mustafa was not directly involved in the rape, he has not been let off as his involvement is still being probed. Due to the porn material found on his laptop, we are still investigating his role,” an official said.
Mustafa will continue to be in police custody as a fresh FIR was registered suo motu by the Whitefield police in connection with the school where he worked earlier,” the official said.