School van driver held of sexually assaulting two six year old girls in Pune

Police have arrested a school van driver for allegedly sexually assaulting two six year old girl students in Maharashtras Pune city an official said to PTI on ThursdayThe incident took place on September 30 on the van when the schoolgirls were traveling back home from the citys Wanwadi area he saidThe accused allegedly touched the private parts of both the victims when they were returning home from the school One of the girl students later narrated the incident to her mother who then informed the school authorities the official from the Wanwadi police station said to PTIAn FIR was registered and the accused driver was identified as Sanjay Reddy was booked and arrested under sections 64 punishment for rape and 65 2 punishment for rape on woman under twelve years of age of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS and under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO ActIn August a sweeper allegedly sexually assaulted two girls aged four and five years inside the toilet of a school in Thanes Badlapur region sparking major protests The accused Akshay Shinde was arrested and was then killed in an alleged shootout with police on September 23 PTI reportedOn Tuesday the Bombay High Court refused prearrest bail to two school trusteesmdashthe chairman and the secretarymdashnamed as accused in the Badlapur sexual assault caseldquoThere is prima facie material indicating that the victims parents had voiced their grievances to the class teacher and other staff members The applicants were aware of the incident before August 16 Despite having knowledge they did not report the incident to policerdquo the HC saidThe delay in lodging a police complaint was primarily because of the applicants negligence for reasons known only to them the judge saidAccording to PTI the court scheduled the next hearing on October 23 and requested information on the actions taken against Badlapur police officials who failed to swiftly record a first information report FIR and adequately investigate the caseThe schools chairman and secretary have been booked under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences POCSO Act for not reporting the incident to the police immediately and negligenceEarlier a division bench had criticised the Special Investigation Team SIT for its inability to arrest the two accused PTI reportedThe HC noted that the SIT had only sent notices to the duo through WhatsApp and email and asked if they were waiting for the accused to obtain prearrest bailldquoThe police go to any extent to nab an accused How come they have not been able to apprehend these two Are they waiting for them to get anticipatory bailrdquo the division bench asked