After massive public outrage over the sexual assault of two girl children at a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur, the management of the school has suspended its principal and two other staffers. Meanwhile, angry parents of the school children staged a blockade at the Badlapur railway station since Tuesday morning, seeking stringent action against the accused. Meanwhile, CM Eknath Shinde and DCM Devendra Fadnavis have assured strict action against the perpetrator.
Hundreds of agitated parents and local citizens came onto the tracks at the railway station in the morning at around 8 am and blocked tracks to draw the administration's attention to their demand, subsequently affecting the movement of trains on the Up and Down routes. The police and protesters also clashed with each other. While the protestors pelted stones over the police, the police resorted to tear gas shelling.
Accused arrested
The local police had arrested a school attendant Akshay Shinde from the school on August 17 for allegedly abusing two kindergarten girls, aged three and four years. According to the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school. The girls told their parents that the attendant touched them inappropriately, following which the parents reached the police station and filed a case against him. The police registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He was later arrested.
School management takes action
After the incident, the school management on late Monday evening said that it had suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant, holding them responsible. The school management also tendered an apology over the incident. Moreover, the school said that it has also blacklisted the firm which was given the contract for housekeeping, adding that the vigilance on the school premises will be increased.
Station in-charge transferred
Besides, the police station in-charge was also transferred by the Badlapur police for allegedly failing to act on the parents' complaint. Agitated by the incident, a large group of the parents of the children of the involved school gathered outside the institution to demand strict action against those guilty. After some time, a large number of protestors including, women carrying banners, placards and sloganeering for justice, came onto the tracks and blocked trains.
While the efforts were on to pacify the protesters, the police and other authorities were finding it tough to control the situation. Additionally, a call for Badlapur bandh has also been given by several organisations against the gruesome incident.
